


If The Kids Are United

by Ultra



Series: The Kids 'Verse [3]
Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Brother-Sister Relationships, College, F/M, Family, First Time, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, High School, Jealousy, Love, Male-Female Friendship, Relationship(s), Season/Series 03, Sequel, Teen Romance, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-09-06 23:16:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 76,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8773339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: Sequel to ‘The Kids Are Alright’. It’s time for Jess, Rory, and Paris to head back to Chilton for Senior Year. The ups and downs of life might just be easier to handle now that they have each other (as well as Lorelai and Luke) to rely upon, but nobody saidanything would be perfect!





	1. Chapter 1

Jess Mariano had gotten used to not needing people, mostly because when he had before, they always let him down. It was strange at the age of seventeen to realise just how much things had changed, and all inside the last twelve months. Now he had people in his life that really did care, and two that had been absent these past six weeks were due to return any minute. Jess wasn’t sappy enough to admit he was excited about that, but he kind of was.

To think that less than a year ago he had been dragged, practically kicking and screaming, from NYC where he was born and raised, to Hartford, Connecticut, all because his mother had decided she was in love. Again. Liz had more husbands and boyfriends than Jess had home cooked meals, and quite honestly, he was surprised he could keep track of all the men who had traipsed through is life over the years.

Ira Geller was different to a lot of the losers that had come before, but Jess was sure from the get go he would fall into the smaller but nonetheless very real second category of men in Liz’s life - good guys that she would screw over in the end. An affair with the pool boy of the Geller family’s fancy digs was just cliché enough for Liz to make it work, and so they were out before Jess had even completed Junior year at Chilton Prep.

As much as living in the lap of luxury was no bad thing, Jess didn’t care about having to give up the house or the private schooling. What hurt was having to go back to New York just when he had built a life for himself in Connecticut. His step-sister, Paris, who had hated him in the beginning and he had taken great delight in driving crazy, had become more family to him than anyone ever had before. Then there was Rory Gilmore.

Jess never thought to have a girlfriend. He dated, obviously, but Rory was the first girl he really wanted to be with on a more permanent basis. In short, he loved her, and he never expected that to happen. He loved Paris too, in a strange ‘like a sister’ kind of a way, and then there was Uncle Luke. He really had done Jess a solid by bringing him back to Stars Hollow, giving him a place to live, and even offering to pay the money to put Jess back into Chilton for Senior Year. His girlfriend, Lorelai, who was also Rory’s mother, was equally supportive of having Jess ‘back home’ as she phrased it. In spite of always thinking of NYC as the place he belonged for his whole life up to now, Jess couldn’t argue that Stars Hollow had fast become home to him. He didn’t want to be anywhere else anymore.

“Thanks again for letting me tag along,” he said to Lorelai who was stood beside him in the airport.

“No problem, bud,” she replied, grinning big. “I know it’s not cool for guys to admit these things, but I figure next to me you’re probably the most excited that Rory is coming home. Paris too actually.”

“I don’t hate that they’ll be around,” he said, shrugging like it was no big deal, but the smile gave him away.

“Must’ve been lonely for you these past few weeks.”

“I guess, but Luke’s been keeping me busy.”

That was no lie. Jess hadn’t just been putting in time at the diner to assist in paying his tuition, and to make a little something for himself too, but a lot of time had been spent in the apartment too. The place just wasn’t going to be big enough for two, and so Luke and Lorelai had come up with a plan to purchase the building next door to the diner and knock through upstairs, making the apartment much larger. It was even more money being spent on Jess’ behalf and he couldn’t help but ask why Luke was bothering. It was a strange moment when his uncle explained how much he cared, first about Jess, and then also about Rory. He wanted them happy, and also safe and comfortable. If that meant laying out some cash, so be it.

“I should’ve done a lot more, a lot sooner,” he had told Jess too seriously.

The ‘thank you’ he gave him in return for his generosity didn’t really seem enough, but it was all Jess had. He knew he couldn’t screw up with Luke, and he sure as hell didn’t want to screw up with Rory. This year was going to be best behaviour, and Jess wasn’t sure how easy that was going to be, especially at Chilton with all its rules and too much talk of college. Not that it was much easier in Stars Hollow with Rory’s ex, Dean, giving him the evil eye at every turn. That guy was just asking to be smacked in the teeth.

“Y’know, I meant to thank you,” he said to Lorelai then. “I, er... Luke mentioned that he wouldn’t have known where to start with the whole bringing me back thing if you hadn’t helped out so, thanks for that.”

If anybody had ever looked more awkward about anything, Lorelai wouldn’t like to have guessed who it was or when and where it happened. Poor Jess. He was a good kid really but he had lived through a whole mass of bad breaks, and certainly had a pretty screwed up childhood. Luke was doing all he could to put right what had been wrong in his nephew’s life. Lorelai was only too happy to assist in that.

“I didn’t really do so much,” she said, shaking her head. “But you’re more than welcome for anything I did do. The fact is, Jess, I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t sure about you in the beginning. It’s not all your fault, I mean, Rory was all happy and settled with Dean and then along you come, all different and... well, you know how people fear the unknown, and change is never good?”

“I get it,” Jess assured her, still smiling in spite of the fact she was all but being insulting at this point. “For the record, I didn’t come here by choice, and I sure as hell never expected to fall for Rory, but it happened, and I’m not sorry that it did.”

“Me either,” Lorelai assured him. “You make my daughter very happy, Jess, and honestly, it’s nice to see Paris happy too. She needs someone in her life besides Rory. From what I hear, her parents don’t care all that much. A brother is not a bad a substitute.”

There was no time for anything else to be said as the doors opened then and Rory and Paris were the first to burst through, complete with bags in their hands and grins on their faces. They seemed as happy to be home as Lorelai and Jess were to have them there. Rory clearly didn’t know who to hug first and decided she would go with her mom, purely because Paris beat her to Jess. It was still weird to see her be comfortable showing affection for anyone, but it was nice too.

When Lorelai released Rory, she pretty much threw herself at Jess, who didn’t mind at all.

“Hey there, Paris,” said Lorelai, turning her back the moment the kissing started. “How was Washington?”

“It was great. Very educational,” said Paris happily. “And I think I went on my first date last night.”

“Wow, that’s great, hon.” Lorelai smiled. “Oh, hey, look at that. They came up for air,” she said of Rory and Jess as they finally released each other.

“Sorry,” her daughter apologised, blushing profusely.

“No problem, sweets. He missed you almost as much as I did,” she said of Jess, who almost looked as if he might be embarrassed too.

“I missed you both,” Rory told them, keeping one arm around Jess and flinging the other around Lorelai’s shoulders. “Calls and letters just aren’t the same!” she said, bouncing around with the excitement of being home.

Even Paris found it amusing, if not a little embarrassing too.

“Well, you’ll be happy to know that the grandparents seem to be labouring under the delusion that your flight doesn’t get in until this time tomorrow,” said Lorelai happily, “so Friday Night Dinner? So not an issue.”

“Unless you’re Luke,” noted Jess.

“Luke?”

“Yes. The unfortunate downside to my generosity in getting you out of Friday Night Dinner so you can in fact spend some Peaches & Herb time with the boyfriend is that my boyfriend got fast-shuffled into officially meeting the parents,” said Lorelai, with a huff that blew her hair off her forehead. “But, before all of that, we get to enjoy the awesomeness that is the First Annual Stars Hollow End of Summer Madness Festival!”

Jess rolled his eyes and whispered to Rory; “Also known as a town-wide insanity plea.”

“Oh, come on!” she said, encouraging him to get into the spirit the way only Rory could. “It’ll be fun.”

All she managed to inspire was another eye roll and a hint of a smirk because her joy really was infectious. Besides, having her back was maybe the best thing to happen to Jess since his own return to the Hollow.

“You wanna come along Paris?” Lorelai asked her as they all headed out of the airport together.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, shifting awkwardly. “It seems like a family thing.”

“You are family,” Rory pointed out, “or close enough.”

“It’s no problem to me,” Lorelai assured her. “I can take you home now if that’s what you want, or you can come experience all the fun of a small town event with the coolest people in the state, and then I can drop you home on the way to my parents’ house tonight.”

She finished her little speech as she dropped both Rory and Paris’ bags into the car and closed up the back with a thud. Still Ms Geller looked undecided.

“C’mon, Paris,” said Jess, eyeing her with suspicion and a wicked smirk. “What are you afraid of?”

“Nothing,” she reacted just as he knew she would, lifting her chin and looking determined. “I’ll come along. It might make an interesting piece for the Franklin at least.”

Jess laughed as he opened the car door for the girls. “Don’t ever change, sis,” he told Paris as she got into her seat.

Somehow he already knew she wasn’t going to.

* * *

The Summer Festival did not fail to disappoint Rory and Lorelai, and even Paris managed to enjoy herself, even if much of her entertainment came from putting down everybody else. Nobody present was much enjoying the barbershop quartet who knew precisely one song for the occasion - the whole town was certain to be singing Hazy, Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer for a week after, if not longer!

Jess rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on when they went into yet another chorus of that same song. Rory winced on his behalf.

“Aww, Jess, I’m sorry. You’re really hating this, aren’t you?” she sympathised, hugging him from the side with her head on his shoulder.

“I’m fine” he told her, forcing a half a smile. “You’re here and you’re happy, that’s what matters.”

“You are the best,” she said with a grin, kissing his lips. “And later when all this is over we can be alone and talk properly and stuff.

“Sounds good,” he said with a more genuine smile. “I think Lane needs you,” he told Rory then, pointing out where her BFF was bouncing and waving. “You should go talk to her.”

“You’re not coming with?”

“To listen to you two do the girl talk thing? Not really my scene, Ror.”

“Point taken. I’ll go talk to Lane, track down mom and Luke who really should’ve been back with those hot dogs by now, and be back in a few.”

“Okay.” Jess nodded. “If I’m not here I’ll be looking for Paris. I get this feeling like I should keep an eye on her, unless of course we want a full scale riot on our hands.”

“Probably best to keep her from starting World War three,” Rory agreed, sparing Jess one more kiss before they parted.

It started out as a mere peck but when his arm snaked around her waist and kept he close, Rory didn’t object to letting Jess make the moment last. By the time they parted, she was gasping for air, but didn’t mind at all. Hurrying over to Lane, she knew she had the biggest grin on her face before her friend ever mentioned it.

"Hey, Smiley Smile," said Lane, hugging Rory tight. "Stars Hollow has missed you."

"And I have missed Stars Hollow. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good," she said, nodding her head. "Actually awful, since I'm sitting here watching all the happy couples enjoying their Summer Madness, knowing that will never be me, not for as long as Mrs Kim is watching."

"Aaw, Lane," said Rory sadly, giving her friend another hug for good measure. "I'm sorry. I'm sure one day Mrs Kim will realise that boys aren't all related to the devil."

"Here's hoping." Lane sighed. "You and Jess are certainly as much in love as ever if that lip-lock moment was anything to go by."

Rory blushed profusely. “I have to admit, it’s great to be back and to have him here.”

Turning to look in the direction Jess was headed before, Rory’s smile faded when she saw a blonde girl talking to him. It wasn’t that Rory didn’t trust Jess or want him to have friends, be they male or female, but this girl seemed just a little too quick to lean in close and fawn all over him.

“Wow, she seems friendly,” she said pointedly.

“Ah, yeah. I wasn’t sure whether to mention her or not,” said Lane awkwardly. “That would be Shane.”

“As in ‘come back’?”

“Apparently. She’s new in town, due to start Stars Hollow High September 1st. She seems to like the diner a lot,” she said with a look that soon got Rory’s attention, “but nothing untoward has happened. Jess would never, ever cheat on you,” she insisted.

“I know that.” Rory nodded. “I do, I know that. Jess can have female friends, it’s no big deal.”

She looked like she meant it, and yet at the same time, Lane could see Rory wasn’t keen on the idea of Jess and Shane being buddies. The way she couldn’t stop staring at the pair certainly proved she had her doubts and Lane really couldn’t blame her for that.

“There you are!” said Paris as she appeared beside them. “I’ve been all over this crack pot town looking for you.”

“Which is weird because Jess was actually looking for you,” Rory noted, gesturing over to where he was.

Paris’ eyes went comically wide, her hand rising to block the sun from her face so she could get a better look at Jess and the girl he was talking to.

“Please God tell me he didn’t mistake Malibu Whore Barbie for me?” she asked, apparently disgusted by the sight of Shane. “I mean, geez, would you look at that girl. She should have a staple across her stomach from the centre page.”

“Paris!” Rory gasped at the implication. “She’s probably a really nice person,” she insisted, until she saw the look on Lane’s face as well as Paris’s own. “Maybe. Possibly.”

“Go on, get over there,” said Pars then, physically shoving Rory in the general direction of her boyfriend.

“Why?”

“Stake your claim, Gilmore!” her friend insisted. “Let that bubble-head know that you’re back in town and your man is not up for grabs.”

Rory opened her mouth to protest but then changed her mind. She looked over in time to see Shane touching Jess’ arm in a particular way. He seemed to shift as if to get away from her and yet their conversation continued.

“Lane?” Rory looked to her other best friend for advice.

“Couldn’t hurt,” she admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

Rory took a breath, nodded once in determination and strode off towards Jess and Shane.

Alone together now, Lane glanced up at Paris from her place on the bench, then shifted over and gestured for her to sit.

“How’s things Paris?” she asked politely.

Paris eyed the bench a moment and then took a seat. “Not bad. I had my first date last night,” she said smiling, before that expression quickly faded, “with a guy I’ll probably never see again.”

“Oh,” said Lane. “Well, my mother is doing a great job of ensuring that I never date anyone. Ever.”

“Ouch. Sorry,” Paris sympathised.

“Thanks,” replied Lane, as the two of them sunk further down into their seats with their arms folded across their chests.

They turned their attention to Rory just in time to see her reach Jess’ side. They couldn’t hear the conversation, but the way Rory made a big deal of putting her arm around Jess’ waist the moment she got to him spoke volumes about how well she was ‘staking her claim’ as Paris put it. Shane was to be left in no doubt of who she was messing with.

“Hey,” said Jess, turning to his girlfriend and putting an arm around her back. “I don’t know if you saw Luke and Lorelai, but they’re still at the hotdog stand. I think the polite explanation would be that they got distracted, by each other,” he said, with just a hint of distaste creeping into his expression.

“Well, it’s easily done.” Rory shrugged. “I can’t help being distracted by you.”

Before Jess could hardly get a breath in, she crashed her lips against his own, kissing him like her life depended on it. Rory had her fingers tangled in Jess’ hair, her body pressed up close to his, and Jess sure wasn’t protesting at all.

“Get a room!” said Shane with a sneer.

Soon after, Rory pulled away from Jess, triumph on her face as well as a deep blush. Mostly she was just very glad to see that Shane was long gone from the scene.

“What was that for?” asked Jess, trying to catch his breath.

“Can’t I just want to kiss you?” asked Rory in all innocence apparently, and yet he knew better.

It wasn’t that Rory didn’t love him or want to kiss him, he knew that she did, but that had been quite the PDA. She rarely initiated anything quite so obvious where a whole lot of people could see, including her mother, his uncle, and all the assorted townsfolk. This happened for one reason only, and there was no way he wasn’t going to call her on it.

“What’s the matter, Gilmore?” he asked with a smirk, pushing strands of hair off her face. “Those baby blues turning a little green because you saw me talking to Shane?”

“No!” Rory denied it hotly, and yet when she met his eyes she had to be honest. “Maybe _you_ were talking, but _she_ was flirting. I could see that from a mile away,” she said definitely.

Jess frowned a little. “You don’t trust me?”

“I completely trust you!” Rory insisted, holding on tight still, but looking everywhere but at him. “I just don’t think it hurts for girls like that to know that you’re not available.”

Jess smirked at that, lifting Rory’s chin on his finger until she was looking at him again. “I kinda love the territorial streak.”

“Oh yeah? That’s good,” she said with a smile, arms locking around his neck, “because it’s probably not going anywhere.”

He kissed her this time, and they were just getting lost in another beautiful moment when a voice interrupted them.

“Seriously?” said Lorelai. “You can’t put each other down for three seconds?”

The young couple parted and Luke and Lorelai dutifully handed over hotdogs and drinks. Still, Jess couldn’t help but get back at Rory’s mother for what she said.

“Hello, pot? This is kettle - you’re black,” he said smartly. “I saw you guys at the hotdog stand,” he added when both of them dared to look confused.

“Eat your food,” said Luke sternly, fit to blush as easily as Rory usually would in such a moment.

Jess said no more, but the smirk he was wearing just wouldn’t quit.


	2. Chapter 2

“Paris, honey?” said Lorelai from the front seat. “Please, please, please could you stop humming that song?” she begged.

“Y’know it’s really not my fault,” she defended herself sharply. “That barbershop quartet ought to be fired and never allowed to work again. Your Taylor Doose isn’t half so smart as he thinks he is. If he were, he wouldn’t have been duped into paying so much for a singing group that is clearly sub-par.”

“Did I mention that I like this girl?” said Luke in a low voice.

Lorelai smiled. “Well, I think Taylor got the message from the amount of times you told him his entertainment was not all that, Paris. And here we are at Casa de Geller,” she said then, pulling the car up outside of the gates.

“Thanks, Lorelai,” said Paris as she hopped out of the car.

She made a point of walking around to the passenger side and tapping on the window. Luke looked confused as he rolled it down and stared at her.

“Don’t try too hard with the Gilmores,” she advised him. “Richard and Emily are obviously of a different social class, but you’re a decent guy who’s doing his best with what he has. That has to count for something.”

Without another word, Paris headed on into the house. Luke watched her go, mouth open wide and eyes to match. Lorelai finally snapped him out of it with her peals of laughter.

“Wow. That girl never fails to stun, does she?” she said.

“Very true,” he agreed. “Was that a compliment? I think it was a compliment.”

“On the Paris Geller scale? Yeah, I’d say that she’s a fan,” Lorelai agreed, pulling away from the kerb. “She has a point though. You are a very decent guy.”

“I know you think so, and I appreciate that-”

“Not just me,” she cut in. “Jess, Rory, Lane, Sookie, pretty much the general populace of Stars Hollow.”

“But not your parents,” Luke pointed out. “I mean, sure, they never said they didn’t like me, never said they did either, but Paris also had a point about the class thing. Crazy as I know it is, I am not up to their standards.”

“Babe, I’m not up to their standards, and I’m their daughter!”

“That’s different.”

Lorelai knew he had a point so wouldn’t continue arguing. Honestly, she didn’t know what to say for the best right now. She felt bad that Luke had been Shanghaied into dinner like this and all because she had gotten Rory out of the usual Friday night meal. Of course, it was always going to happen eventually, and Luke wasn’t wrong when it came to what her parents’ opinion of him was likely to be. When they found out he had brought Jess back into everybody’s life, Lorelai was sure Emily’s head was going to spin around and explode. Richard had taken it better, but both were concerned for Rory. It really wasn’t fair how her parents judged so harshly when they didn’t know, or at least hardly knew a person.

“Luke, you wanna go home?”

“Seriously?” he checked. “It’s Friday Night Dinner. You can’t miss it.”

“No, but you can,” she said, pulling over to the side of the road suddenly. “I have to go to dinner, yes, that’s true, but I can make an excuse for you. I could take you home, drive back over, I’d barely even be late at all. I could just say you’re sick or you’re needed at the diner or...”

Before Lorelai could say another word, Luke had taken a hold of her and pulled her in close enough that he could cover her lips with his own. After a good long kiss, he released her with a smile.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do,” he told her softly, “but like I told you before when we started all of this, I’m all in. I know that you’re a package deal, Lorelai, and I don’t just mean Rory. Your parents are a part of your life, which means they’re going to be a part of my life. I can handle that, even if they can’t,” he said with a hint of a smirk.

Lorelai smiled. “You are an amazing man, Luke Danes. You know that, don’t you?” she said, her hand at his cheek.

“Drive the car, Crazy Lady,” he told her, smiling wide.

Taking a breath, Lorelai started the engine again and headed on to the Gilmore mansion, feeling just a little better about this evening than she had before.

* * *

“Ugh! I cannot get that song out of my head!” complained Rory as she returned from the bathroom still humming ‘Hazy, Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer’.

“C’mere, I’ll take your mind off it,” said Jess, pulling her down on the couch beside him and kissing her deeply. “Better?”

“Always,” she agreed as they parted. “You have no idea how happy I am to be home,” A contended sigh escaped Rory’s lips as she pulled her legs up under her and curled into Jess’ side.

“Actually I do because you’ve said it a lot of times today,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. “But I’m okay with that, because I’m happy you’re home too.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I loved Washington. It was a great experience and I met some really interesting people.”

“Plus you saw Archie Bunker’s chair at the Smithsonian, doesn’t get better than that,” said Jess with a smirk.

“Yes, that was obviously the best part” she agreed with as straight a face as possible. “But I did miss this place, my mom, Stars Hollow... and you,” she said, turning to look at him. “I think I should buy Luke some kind of gift. Y’know, like a thank you for bringing you back here?”

“I don’t really think he’s the fruit basket type,” Jess considered, shaking his head. “Gotta say I don’t hate that he swung this deal for me. I could’ve used not having to go back to Chilton for Senior Year, but you can’t have everything.”

“Oh, but I’m glad you’re going to be there!” Rory told him, looking oddly surprised that he wasn’t thrilled about it. “Paris too. I mean, she won’t see you as much now your parents have split up, so it’ll be good for you guys to get to hang out in school, and I’d miss you if you weren’t there. Besides, you have to go to school somewhere.”

“Do I?”

“Jess, you know that you do. You do not want to drop out. You are way too smart to let that happen, and I don’t even want to hear it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Jess with a mock salute. “Washington has made you pushy,” he teased her.

“Maybe, or maybe I was always this way and you just love it.”

“Maybe,” he agreed, smiling because he just couldn’t help himself.

They settled down to watch the movie for all of five minutes before Rory thought of something else.

“So, how’s living with Luke so far?”

“It’s fine.” Jess shrugged. “He’s a little obsessed with healthy food for a guy that runs a diner, plus he seems to be pinning a lot on me reaching my full potential at Chilton. Apparently he didn’t get the memo about my not wanting to go to college.”

“Did you talk to him about it?” asked Rory, frowning some.

She wasn’t thrilled to hear that Jess had decided not to pursue higher education, but in the end she understood it was his choice. She encouraged him to do more with his life than just whatever came up, but if he really didn’t want to do the college thing, he was old enough to make that decision for himself. Chilton weren’t going to like it, of course, and probably Luke wouldn’t either, but that was just the way it was going to be.

“I raised the point that not everybody goes to college. Luke never did, and neither did your mom, and they’re doing okay.”

“Very true.” Rory nodded. “Well, did he accept that?”

“Yes and no,” said Jess thoughtfully. “Somehow I don’t think I’ve heard the last of campus sizes and modern language programs.”

Rory giggled at the appalled look on his face, she just couldn’t help it. Jess was so very much his own person, not willing to run with the crowd just to be considered cool, not about to do what somebody told him to just because. He did what he wanted and he meant what he said. These were some of the things Rory liked best about him, these and a whole lot more that encompassed not just the shallow things like his good looks and the fact he could melt her entire body with a kiss, but also the way his passion for books and cult movies matched her own, even when their tastes differed. It was as much fun to argue with Jess as to agree, and neither thing ever got old.

“What?” he asked when he caught her staring.

“Nothing,” said Rory, smiling still. “I was just thinking... but it’s kinda sappy.”

“Tell me,” he urged her when she tried to turn away.

“I don’t know, I just... I guess a part of me wondered if things would be the same, when you came back. I mean, at first, I wasn’t sure you ever would, and then just when you were back I had to leave. Whilst I was away you could’ve met new people, or got bored of waiting for me...”

“Rory,” he said, shaking his head but she wasn’t done yet.

“Jess, I don’t mean to make it sound like I don’t trust you or anything, it’s not like that. I guess I just thought maybe I’d made more of us than there really was. That maybe the reality wasn’t the same as in my head, but it is. It really is the same, and... and I love you, Jess,” she told him, eyes meeting his at last.

He didn’t say anything, just held her gaze and almost looked like he had no idea how to react. It was strange, because they had both said ‘I love you’ before, a couple of times actually. Now it felt different, and neither could say why exactly. Perhaps it was what Rory had said, about them being apart and wondering if things would be quite as good or as special in reality as it had seemed in their daydreams. It was just as good. In fact, Jess would say maybe it was even better. Pulling Rory closer, his lips met hers in the sweetest kiss. Their foreheads were still touching when he broke the kiss, and though she could barely make out his expression at such close range, somehow she knew he was smiling.

“I love you too,” he told her softly. “I’d say I’ve never been as happy to see anybody as I was when you stepped through those doors at the airport, but there was that one day in New York.”

Rory smiled too at that particular memory and initiated the next kiss between them. There was supposed to be a movie tonight, or more than one, she couldn’t remember the plan anymore, only that there had kind of been one at some point. The TV was still on but they hadn’t looked at it much in a while. She and Jess had talked some, but much of the time had been spent reconnecting in other ways, neither of them minded at all. Six weeks had seemed like forever, especially since their reunion had been so brief when he first returned to the Hollow. Now they had a couple of weeks of Summer left to spend together, and then five days a week in school until next June. Rory knew Jess wasn’t thrilled to have to attend Chilton for another year, but she liked to think she was an incentive. Plus she meant what she said about it being nice for him and Paris to spend a little time together too. Of course, right now, her boyfriend’s ex-step-sister was the last thing on Rory’s mind. She was lost in a moment that she had no problem with never getting out of, and life was good.


	3. Chapter 3

The time passed too quickly, in a haze of books, movies, and making out. Rory had a lot of fun and actually didn’t mind so much when it was time for school to start up again. It wasn’t as if she was really losing anything. Jess was going to be right there with her five days a week, plus she would see Paris and her other friends. Senior Year wasn’t looking half so tough as Rory thought it might. In fact, she was glad to be getting back to Chilton, as weird as that might seem.

“Ooh, lookin’ good, Max Fischer!” said Lorelai, catching Rory’s attention.

She looked up from her breakfast to see Jess who had appeared from behind the curtain in his Chilton uniform. Most guys looked average to awful in the outfit, Jess always made it look so good.

“Thanks,” Jess dead-panned, rolling his eyes at Lorelai before turning to Luke. “Tell me again why you paid money to have me go back to this place?”

“Because the education is good and because I, stupidly, thought you might want to be spending as much time as possible with your girlfriend and your adopted sister. So sorry if I got that wrong,” said Luke with a look.

“Whatever,” Jess muttered as he joined Lorelai and Rory at their table. “At least I’m not alone at the freak show.”

“I think you look great” his girlfriend assured him, sparing him a kiss. “You want?” she offered him her last pancake in an attempt to make him happy.

Jess shook his head. “I know better than to take food from a Gilmore.”

“A wise man,” said Lorelai, nodding her head. “And they say feeding Gremlins after midnight is dangerous. They have no idea how bad things can be when a Gilmore misses out on a meal! Okay, kids,” she said then, gulping down the last of her coffee. “Have a good day in school. I’m out!” she was off like a shot, kissing Rory on the top of her head as she passed by. Jess gave a slight wave as Rory told her mom to have a good day too.

With breakfast finally done, Rory said they should probably get going as they didn’t want to miss their bus.

“Have a great first day back!” Luke called to them as they left. “And Jess? Stay out of trouble.”

“Yes, Uncle Luke,” he intoned like a good boy before following Rory outside. “Not that I’m not grateful to the guy, but he does know I’m almost eighteen, right?”

“I would hope so since your birthday is next week,” said Rory, smiling as his arm slipped around her shoulder’s whilst they walked along. “So, did you get the required reading finished?”

“Some of it.” Jess shrugged. “I got a little distracted from the Shakespeare.”

“Jess!”

“The Sun Also Rises was just sitting there and you know I have a weakness. A re-read appealed way more than ‘to be or not to be’.”

“That’s Hamlet,” Rory noted as they sat down together on the bench at the bus stop. “You were supposed to be reading ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.”

“Yeah, and last weekend we were supposed to watch the movie, but something else was distracting me then,” said Jess with a smirk.

Rory coloured at his comment, knowing it was less of a what and more of a who that had spoilt Jess’ concentration that day. She hadn’t meant for it to happen, but for some reason her boyfriend was looking particularly attractive that day and she couldn’t help herself.

“Next time we watch movies for school, we invite Paris,” she said definitely.

“As much as I love her, she’s definitely a passion killer.” Jess nodded, getting a sock in the arm from Rory for his trouble. “Ow!”

“Don’t be mean,” she told him, though she failed to hold in the laughter that came as a result of his joke.

The bus arrived and they boarded, continuing talk of books and the like all the way to school. No sooner had they arrived at Chilton than Paris was upon them. Though Rory was sure she had missed having their constant company these past couple of weeks, she seemed oddly eager even for Paris.

“Save me. Please,” she urged them desperately.

“Hey, sis. Forget to take your Ritalin this morning?” asked Jess with evident amusement - she did not smile.

“Laugh it up, Chuckles! I have been back in this school for fully ten minutes and already I feel as if my head is going to explode. Tiffani and Bambi are in full ‘I Know Who You Did Last Summer’ mode and if I have to hear one more story about making out on the beach, I won’t be responsible for my actions!” she complained. “Don’t they know this is Senior year? This is the final chance before college, the last hurdle, the end of the line. We do not have time for this crap!”

“Paris, breathe,” Rory advised. “I’m sure Madeline and Louise didn’t mean any harm. You know that boys and parties rank so much higher for them than education ever could. It never bothered you quite this much before.”

Paris took a deep breath in and let it out as instructed. It helped a little. Honestly, she wasn’t sure why it was bugging her so much to hear her friends talk conquests either, unless she was jealous. Not that she needed to be, she had her first real date in Washington and she could have proudly told Madeline and Louise all about it, and yet she didn’t, she couldn’t. Somehow she knew they wouldn’t get it.

“It’s just first day back stress, I guess,” she sighed. “Between The Franklin, Student Council, and applying to Harvard, we’re going to be busy, Gilmore. Too busy for a whole lot of fraternising,” she said pointedly.

“I think she’s looking at me,” said Jess in full dead-pan mode.

“Quite possibly.” Rory nodded from beneath his arm. “But Paris, I am not giving up my boyfriend just because we have a lot to achieve this year. We’ll find a balance, it’ll be fine.”

“Of course if Jess would be of some help, maybe at The Franklin this year?”

“Nope,” he told Paris without hesitation.

“But you actually know how to string two sentences of the written word together without me standing over you, and-”

“Paris, no,” he said definitely and clearly so she could not be mistaken in what he was saying. “Now, you may want to look the other way, just saying,” he warned her before spinning Rory around by the straps of her back pack and kissing her firmly on the lips.

The bell rang overhead and the couple parted, with Jess giving a salute of a wave to the girls before heading to class. Rory was smiling, she couldn’t help it. Paris was not so much.

“C’mon, grumpy girl,” Rory encouraged her. “Step one of all the crazy that Senior Year has planned for us is getting to class on time.”

Paris sighed and followed her. What choice did she have?

* * *

“Well, aren’t you just the guy that everybody is talking about?” said Louise as she and Madeline took a seat at the lunch table.

Jess glanced up from his tray and shrugged his shoulders. “Huh,” he said, as if he had no idea he had caused a stir.

“Don’t act dumb,” said Paris to his left. “You know a whole bunch of girls just swooned when you walked into math class this morning.”

“Can you blame them?” asked Madeline with a glint in her eyes.

Jess looked back at his lunch. It seemed a whole lot safer, at least until Rory got here. It wasn’t that he minded the attention. If girls liked him, that wasn’t a bad thing, but after the way Rory reacted to his talking with Shane, he kind of didn’t want to tempt fate. Besides, encouraging the Banger Sisters in any way was not on his itinerary at all!

“So, since we’re close friends of your former-sister, you can give us the 411, right?” asked Louise, picking at her salad. “Have you really been taken in by your rich uncle who’s paying for you to come here? Or is it the other rumour, the one where you conned Headmaster Charleston into letting you back in by holding some terrible secret over his head?”

Rory arrived at the table just in time to hear the options that Jess was being given. She laughed at the idea of anyone having blackmail material over the Headmaster, and at the picture in her head of Luke as Daddy Warbucks or similar. Jess smiled also.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” he told the girls.

“Satisfaction brought him back,” retorted Louise. “And I don’t give in until I’m completely satisfied,” she said, with a look on her face that was way too dirty for the Chilton cafeteria.

“There’s no big secret or scandal.” Rory rolled her eyes. “Luke, who is Jess’ uncle, but is not rich, at least not blue-blood high society rich, has let him live with him and is paying for his education.”

“Hmm. Disappointing,” said Louise sadly.

“Extremely,” added Madeline, visibly deflating. “Ooh, look!” she said then, pointed excitedly across the room. 

The next minute she and Louise were gone, trays and all, leaving Jess, Rory, and Paris to wonder what the hell just happened. Not that it really mattered. Honestly, it was probably better that they weren’t centre of attention. None of them were fans of such a thing, well, Paris was sometimes but only when the reason was academic and looked good on her college application.

“My, my, aren’t we popular with the ladies?” she said, looking to Jess. “First the blonde at the Stars Hollow carnival, now Madeline and Louise. Plus a certain red-head we all know and loathe has been making eyes any chance she gets.”

“Red-head?” asked Rory with a frown.

Jess shook his head at her, since he had no idea who Paris was talking about either.

“Oh come on, you are not that dumb!” said Paris, looking between them. “Glance towards The Puffs table, I dare you!”

Rory and Jess both swivelled to see and lo and behold Francie did seem to be staring, though she made a point of looking away when she saw she had their attention. Jess smirked, he couldn’t help it, but Rory did not look amused.

“What?” he asked when she frowned hard at him. “It’s not my fault if she’s staring. Besides, she could be looking at you. She did want you in her little club once upon a time.”

“True,” Rory conceded. “And I guess even if she did like you, that’s not your fault.”

“Exactly,” he agreed. “Hey, you have your share of admirers, and I’m not going nuts about it. I still have to put up with Forester making eyes at you any time we go past Doose’s Market.”

“Dean does not make eyes at me.”

“Yes, he does,” said Paris, even though her eyes never left her book. “I know I don’t spend as much time in your quaint little town as the two of you, but I’ve seen it, at least twice since we’ve been back.”

Rory shook her head, eyes wide. She really hadn’t noticed.

“So, on to more important topics,” said Paris then, reaching the bottom of her page and closing the book on the marker. “We’re fast headed towards the time to apply for college. Obviously, I’m going all out for Harvard, with the usual backups, since Chilton insists - Princeton, Yale, even Stanford. I’m assuming Rory will be doing the same, so that just leaves you, Jess.”

“Pass,” he said, shoving chips in his mouth.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Paris, let it go,” Rory advised. “Jess doesn’t want to go to college and that is his choice. Don’t push.”

“Don’t push? Are you kidding?” she argued.

The next minute, Jess was up from his seat and walking away, promising Rory he would catch her later.

“Don’t walk away from me, Mariano!” Paris yelled after him, to no avail. “Can you believe that?”

“I did try to warn you,” said Rory with a sigh. “I know you want what’s best for Jess, I do too, but he’s decided he really doesn’t want to do the further education thing. I’d love for him to change his mind, but it’s his choice. We don’t get to make it for him.”

“Maybe you don’t,” said Paris. “But trust me, I will get through to him. Just give me time to think of a plan,” she said with determination.

Rory put her head in her hands and let out a long breath. This morning had gone so well, she had been feeling so positive about Senior Year. Now it seemed as if trouble was imminent, one way or another, and that didn’t thrill her at all.


	4. Chapter 4

“Did I mention that you’re the best boyfriend ever?”

“And the best uncle of a boyfriend ever?”

The Gilmore girls had on their big grins and fluttering eyelashes when they stared up at Luke as if he were a Greek god. All he could do was roll his eyes and shake his head.

“You both know I already agreed to the damn ice-cream parlour, so you can stop fawning now.”

“I can’t believe you gave in so easy.” Jess laughed, whilst Rory and Lorelai continued to fake adoration at Luke. “You went from ‘Taylor, no’ ‘til the day you die, all the way to ‘build what the hell you want’ in the time it took these two to pout.”

“Never underestimate the power of the Gilmore pout, my friend,” said Lorelai with a wink. “Besides, what could possibly be considered bad about a place that sells ice-cream and soda, plus old fashioned candy - we’re talking taffy, rock candy, hand-made fudge - I am failing to see the downside.”

“The downside is Taylor!” said Luke loudly, startling various people who were walking within six feet of him.

Jess rolled his eyes at the display, threw his arm around Rory’s shoulders and manoeuvred her a little further away from their parental figures. As much as he loved his uncle, and liked Lorelai well enough also, it was just a little embarrassing to be seen with them right now.

“How’d you like your first town meeting?” asked Rory as they walked along together.

“About as nutty as everything else in this asylum, but I’m adjusting to this level of crazy so it’s fine,” he told her with a smile.

“Hey, you lived with Paris for more than six months. You should have a pretty high tolerance for crazy.”

“Ain’t that the truth?”

The four headed over to the diner, Lorelai having decided she needed just one more slice of pie before she would be full. Luke still wondered where she put all the food, but had stopped arguing that she should eat less sugar, fat, and the like since it never got him anywhere anyway. So long as she was happy, he supposed that was what mattered most. Rory happily accepted a coffee alongside her mother, but when Jess suggested maybe she would like to come upstairs and see that book they had been talking about, she was quick to go with him.

“A book? Really?” said Lorelai the moment they were out of sight.

“What? You know they both love to read,” said Luke, shrugging his shoulders.

“Oh, hon, you’re adorable,” his girlfriend told him, kissing his cheek. “I know Rory and Jess share a love of books, but they also have a burning attraction to each other. I’ll bet you this whole slice of pie that there will be more necking than reading going on up there.”

“Oh, geez!” Luke was up on his feet in a second, but Lorelai grabbed his arm and encouraged him back into his seat. “Hey, calm down. They’re smart kids and they know we’re sitting right here. I said necking, not making babies,” she reminded him with a look.

Luke sighed and adjusted his hat. He hadn’t thought too much about the development of Rory and Jess’ relationship, and even now that it occurred to him, he wished it hadn’t. Of course he liked them being together, because they made each other so happy, but there was not going to be anything he considered innappropriate, not under his roof. He was pretty sure Lorelai would agree when it came to her house also.

“Now, whilst they’re out of the way,” said Lorelai then, her hand on Luke’s own to get his full attention as she lowered her tone. “Jess’ birthday is this Saturday, right?”

“Right.” Luke nodded once. “With a little luck his gift will be ready in time.”

“Well, we can worry about the gift part later, but I was wondering, do you think he might want a party?”

“A party? For Jess?” said Luke, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Er, I don’t know. I’m not sure how many friends he really made at Chilton, aside from Rory and obviously Paris. He’s not really the social type.”

“Must run in the family,” Lorelai teased him with a smile. “Okay, so not a full on teen party, but maybe you, me, Rory, Jess, Paris, Lane, say at our house? Nothing fancy just food and gifts. I could ask Sookie to whip up a cake, she loves to do that,” suggested Lorelai, reconsidering when she saw the look on Luke’s face. “But we don’t have to do it, it was just an idea. I mean, you’re only eighteen once, I just thought-”

Her words were cut off entirely by Luke’s lips on hers, not that Lorelai minded at all. In fact, she was smiling widely when they parted.

“You’re amazing,” said Luke. “You know that, right?”

“I could stand to hear it a couple more times,” she replied, still grinning. “You like the idea?”

“I love the idea. I actually think Jess will too,” Luke considered. “I never would’ve thought of anything like that.”

“Well, you’re new to the whole parenting thing. I happen to have expertise that I’m more than willing to share,” Lorelai told him happily. “Besides, Lane will help with the music, I will hardly have to lift a finger myself,” she said with a shrug.

“I still think you’re amazing,” said Luke, kissing her one more time. “More pie?” he offered, noting the first slice had gone down altogether too easily.

“Hmm. Nah, but I’ll take another cup of coffee, then it’ll probably be a good time to remove my daughter from your nephew before something unfortunate happens.”

“Unfortunate?” echoed Luke, before his eyes went wide with realisation. “Aaw, geez!”

* * *

“This was such a great idea, Mom,” said Rory as she helped hang streamers and balloons in all four corners of the living room. “I mean, Jess really isn’t the party type from what I can tell, but just a small family gaterhing like this, I think he’ll love it.”

“Well, you’re only eighteen once,” Lorelai reminded her, as she came through from the kitchen with a bowl of chips in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other, “and since I plan on going all out for your special day next month, it seemed only fair that Jess got something.”

A knock on the door got her attention then and she rushed to answer it. Out on the porch stood Sookie with a large box in her hands and a worried expression on her face.

“What’s up, Sook?”

“I don’t think he’s going to like the cake,” she said, all panic and fuss as she brought the box through to the kitchen and laid it on the table. “I thought it was going to work, but then I started icing, and then I started over, and over again one more time, and it’s probably fine, but is fine really good enough? This is a special occasion, and I really, really don’t want to mess it up...”

“Sookie, sweetie, please breathe” said Lorelai urgently. “You’re turning colours.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, sitting down heavily in a chair and making herself breathe. “Just, you guys take a look and tell me how awful you think it is,” she suggested, covering her face with both hands, as Rory appeared and shared a look of concern with her mom.

Lorelai rolled her eyes at the dramatics she was already sure would be unnecessary and flipped open the box lid. Both she and Rory gasped at the sight that met their eyes.

“It’s hideous, right?” asked Sookie, still hiding behind her hands.

“Sookie, it’s incredible!” Rory told her with genuine enthusiasm. “Jess is going to love it!”

“And there speaks the voice of experience on things that Jess loves, since she is one of them,” said Lorelai knowingly. “Honestly, hon, you’ve done a great job, not that I ever doubted you would.”

Sookie finally came out from behind her hands, smiling when she realised they were not just being kind. Now that she looked at it again, she supposed the cake did look pretty cool, carefully built and iced like a row of books leaning up against a record player, the vinyl record carefully iced to read ‘The Clash’ and ‘Guns of Brixton’. On the books were the words ‘Happy 18th Birthday, Jess’ in swirling black letters. The whole thing was so well done, it was ridiculous to think that anyone could ever have thought otherwise.

With Sookie’s nerves finally settled, she threw herself into helping with whatever preparations were left to do. Lorelai offered her to stay for the party itself, but she declined. Jackson had a bottle of wine and a movie waiting for her at home for a cosy night in, so she was more than eager to get away before the festivities began. Lane let herself in as Sookie was headed out, explaining that Mrs Kim had only let her come because she had assured her the only guys present at the party would be Jess and Luke, who were both only interested in their respective girlfriends. Next came Paris, who complimented the decor and yet still managed to list five ways that the whole party set up could have been improved. That was just her way.

They were all in place and ready for the arrival of Luke and Jess just in time. Three rings on Lorelai’s cell was the signal from Luke that he was bringing his nephew over, and the four girls all hid in the living room. From there they heard voices and tried not to giggle.

“Shouldn’t you knock or something?” asked Jess.

“Lorelai said to let ourselves in. You know how women are when they’re getting ready for dates.”

Rory bit her lip and started praying she had been right about this party. It sounded like such a good idea when her mom explained the arrangements, the only part she was just a little nervous about was the surprise element. Jess wasn’t usually a huge fan of surprises, with the possible exception of Rory and Paris showing up in New York that one time.

When the door opened and the two men walked in, Lorelai gave the signal and they all leapt out yelling ‘Surprise!’. If nothing else, Jess certainly did look as if he hadn’t been expecting that. His eyes went from Rory to Lorelai, Paris, and Lane, right around the room, then he noticed the banner proclaiming ‘Happy 18th Birthday’, the balloons, and the food.

“Huh.”

Luke rolled his eyes at the underwhelmed reaction, though he wasn’t sure what else he really expected from his nephew.

“Happy Birthday, Jess,” said Lorelai, encouraging him further into the room. “We thought, hey, eighteen is kind of a milestone so why not a little gathering of family and friends.”

“Thanks,” he said, looking a little stiff as she encouraged him to come sit down on the couch. “Your idea?” he checked with Rory as she moved to hug him and kiss his cheek too.

“Actually, mostly my Mom’s,” she admitted. “You’re okay with this, right?” she said quietly in his ear as he he held her a moment.

“Yeah. It’s cool,” he promised with what seemed to be a genuine smile as they parted.

“C’mon, Mariano,” said Paris then. “It’s a party not a date with your girlfriend.”

“Glad you came, sis,” Jess told her with a smirk as everybody found a place to perch and Lane cranked up the music.

Jess’ smirk became a smile when he heard The Ramones playing and realised a serious effort had been made here. As embarrassing as it was in it’s way, it was actually kind of nice that people cared about him like this.

“Can I just say, good work having your birthday land up on a Saturday,” said Lorelai with a look. “There was a moment when we thought it was Friday, and do you know the trouble we would have had getting out of dinner with my parents?”

“I can vouch for the fact they are not easy people to deal with,” said Luke with a sigh.

“Aaw, babe,” she said, trying not to laugh. “You still haven’t recovered from last week?”

“I’ll live,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Just try not to get me invited back again any time soon.”

“And you can feel free to never mention me to your grandparents, ever,” said Jess to Rory, more seriously than she expected.

Rory only smiled and reached under the coffee table for a brightly wrapped box. “Open your present,” she told her boyfriend.

It was, unsurprisingly, a book, as was the gift from Paris and from Lorelai. Lane had gone for a CD she had mixed himself, based on information she gleaned from both from Rory and from past converstaions with Jess himself. That just left Luke.

“I guess it’s my turn,” he said, standing up.

“You already gave me money,” said Jess, looking confused. “That wasn’t the gift?”

“It was a part of the gift,” his uncle told him cryptically. “C’mon.”

The girls all looked as confused as Jess as they got up and followed Luke to the front door. Only Lorelai seemed to know what was going on, which surprised Rory, since her mom usually sucked at keeping secrets, especially good ones. Outside the house, Luke led the assembled group down the porch steps, across the drive and into the street. Jess was about to ask where the hell they were going and Paris wasn’t far behind in wanting to ask the question, when suddenly they all made it around the corner and Luke stopped. With a side smile, he grabbed a hold of Jess’ hand and dropped a set of keys into his palm.

“Happy birthday, nephew,” he declared, gesturing towards a car parked a few feet away.

A chorus of gasps went up from the girls, but Jess didn’t make a sound. For once in his life, he had no words. The party was cool, but he knew it was as much for Lorelai and Rory themselves as for him, because they did love a celebration. This was something else. Luke had actually bought him a car. Nothing fancy, not a new vehicle, just something second-hand and likely to need some fairly regular repairs, but it was a car, and it was his own. Jess really did not know how to react.

“You have to pay for the gas, the insurance, the oil,” said Luke sternly. “This is your responsibility now, and I expect you to step up,” he explained. “But I trust you with this, Jess. Gypsy checked it out, and she says it’s in pretty good shape for what it is. I know it’s not brand new, but it’ll get you to school and back, that kind of thing and... and I wanted you to have something... something worth having. You like it?” he asked then, looking at his nephew’s still-shocked face.

“Yeah,” he said too quietly, before clearing his throat. “Thanks, Uncle Luke,” he added, with no hint of sarcasm or irony.

“You’re welcome, Jess.”


	5. Chapter 5

“I could certainly get used to this,” said Rory happily as Jess drove them to school. “Arriving at Chilton in style.”

“I’m not sure a car like this is exactly a style icon, but it beats the bus,” her boyfriend agreed. “I still can’t believe Luke bought me a car. It’s crazy. The guy already spent a fortune on the apartment and school.”

“He cares about you,” Rory reminded him. “Luke is all about the family loyalty. He’s always been so good to me and my mom, and I always thought it was sad he didn’t have any blood family around anymore. Now he has you. I think he likes being useful, helpful, y’know?”

“I guess,” agreed Jess, nodding his head.

Honestly, as much as he appreciated it, this was all still a little weird to him. He wasn’t at all used to having people care about him or want to help him out. His whole life, Jess had to learn to depend upon himself. Between his absent father and useless mother, plus a string of step-fathers and ‘uncles’ that usually couldn’t care less, it was a ‘me, myself and I’ situation being Jess Mariano. He became okay with it, mostly because he had to. It was a real learning curve undoing all that independence, allowing Luke, Rory, Paris, even Lorelai and Lane to be a part of his life, a family of sorts.

“Hey. Are you okay?” asked Rory as they pulled into the parking lot.

Jess had a habit of going quiet on her sometimes, and usually she didn’t make a big deal. It was just the way he was, thoughtful and even moody some days, but this was so sudden she felt the need to check.

“I’m fine,” he promised, glancing her way and finding a smile. “I am,” he added firmly, leaning over the gear shift to kiss her lips. “C’mon, let’s go.”

They headed into school together and the day got off to its usual busy start. Classes were already intense, in spite of them only being a week into Senior Year, but then it was necessary. There was a lot to achieve in the last few semesters before college began. Rory tried not to think about it most of the time. Nervous energy built up into a ball in her stomach and made her feel queasy when she considered college applications and the reality of actually leaving Chilton someday soon. Mostly she put it out of her head, concentrated on one thing at a time. Unfortunately, her brain was wired in such a way that it was usually thinking so many things at once, she really couldn’t stop it. That was probably why she came to be so distracted that she literally ran into somebody else in the hall on the way to her locker at lunchtime. Books and papers went skittering in all directions, and the person who she had bumped into wandered off, leaving her to it.

“We really need to knock the klutz gene out of you this year,” said Paris, arriving on the scene in time to be of help, though she sighed and huffed about it before getting down onto her knees with Rory and assisting. “I don’t think Harvard appreciates this kind of thing in their prestigious halls.”

“Anybody can drop their books, Paris.”

“Exactly, anybody,” she said pointedly. “You and I are going to be somebodies, not anybodies.”

Rory rolled her eyes, gathering up the last of her things and heading on to her locker. Paris followed, as she might have known she would, talking a mile a minute about college still. It seemed to be her only topic of conversation of late, or at least one of two. She liked to bring up Jamie every once in a while as well. Rory actually preferred the nervous chatter about the famous first date to the constant drone of college talk that made her feel so out of her depth, and always annoyed Jess to no end if he was present. She wished he were now, since he would have no qualms in telling Paris to let it go already. Rory could do it herself, but somehow, she rarely did.

“I think the seminar this week will help a lot,” said Paris, finally getting her friend’s attention back.

“I’m sure it will,” she agreed. “In the meantime, could we maybe dial back on the college application talk just a little? It’s enough pressure knowing the forms are sat there at home waiting for me.”

Rory started walking towards the cafeteria, expecting Paris to protest about being asked to quieten down. She was surprised to note her friend wasn’t speaking, at least until she realised why.

“She really doesn’t know when to quit, does she?” said Paris of Francie.

Rory barely heard the comment, though she was staring at the very same scene and not liking it much. Jess was shoving books into his locker, whilst Francie stood nearby, leaning into his personal space and twirling her hair around her finger like a pro. It was no secret that she liked Jess. Before they had started dating, Rory had seen Francie and Jess flirting, and that was fine. Now it was different, now everybody knew that Jess was with her, and Rory was not at all happy to see Francie playing up to her boyfriend.

“This is getting beyond a joke,” she muttered, feeling like deja vu was setting in as she stalked down the hall towards Jess and Francie.

Paris followed, smirking some, a look learnt too well from Jess, that was for sure. She loved when Rory got mad at people, it was a sight to see. Gilmore needed to grow some balls sometime soon, preferably before Harvard came calling. If her boyfriend could inspire the attitude, so be it.

“Hey,” she said with fake cheerfulness as she reached Jess’ side.

“Hey,” he replied, slamming the locker door shut without so much as a backward glance at Francie. “Let’s go,” he said, an arm around Rory’s shoulders as they headed for the cafeteria.

Francie called something behind them that might’ve been ‘We’ll catch up later’ but Jess didn’t react and so Rory didn’t feel the need to say a word. Paris wasn’t sure what to make of the situation, but wasn’t willing to let it go, that was for sure.

“What does Pippy Longstocking want with you? Besides the obvious,” she asked Jess, rolling her eyes.

She had to assume the attraction was purely physical, the bad boy thing that so many supposed-good girls went for, but something made her wonder. Francie was a manipulator and somewhat of a Queen Bee at Chilton, being as she was leader of The Puffs, not to mention Senior Class President. Paris wouldn’t put it past her to be up to something much worse than taking Rory’s boyfriend out from under her.

“Francie likes to talk, _a lot_ ,” said Jess with a sigh. “I’d tell you exactly what she said, but frankly, I wasn’t listening.”

“You must’ve heard some of it,” said Rory, not looking at him. “Was she... I’m guessing she said things about me?”

Rory half expected to hear that Francie had been bad-mouthing her, telling Jess how she wasn’t the girl for him and he’d be much better off dating someone like Francie herself. It seemed she was way off course with that guess.

“You? No,” he assured her. “Now, Paris, that’s a different story.”

Paris grabbed his arm and pulled him to a halt when he said that.

“Tell me, Mariano. What is that snake up to?” she asked, looking just about ready to kill someone given the look on her face.

Jess sighed. “Do you know how much I really don’t want to be part of your political drama? Man, you two get in charge of student council and suddenly I’m the pawn that can be used to manipulate it all. I’d be flattered, but it’s a little too West Wing for my taste.”

“Spill it, Jess, or so help me-”

“She thinks you’re crazy!” he cut in fast, already tired of this conversation despite the fact it only just started. “Okay, she has this idea that you’re power-mad and that she should be the one in charge. Personally, I could care less about student council, but apparently Francie seems to think I have pull with the Student Body President and her Vice.”

Paris’ eyes were wider than Rory had even seen them. She couldn’t imagine hearing herself described as power-mad came as a shock, since she was usually pretty proud of those kind of titles. Maybe the surprise was that Francie would want to control her, though she was the type so that really shouldn’t be such a big deal either.

“I can’t believe she thinks you could be so easily played,” she Paris eventually, “or that I would be influenced by you or anyone.”

“What can I say, sis?” Jess shrugged. “Clearly you’re losing your edge.”

Without another word, he headed on into the cafeteria. Rory thought about following but was torn between that and checking Paris was okay. She opened her mouth to ask, only to hear a growl emit from her friends’ throat.

“I’ll fix her,” she said, presumably of Francie, before storming off in the opposite direction.

Rory called after her, but apparently it was too late

* * *

“Rory? Rory?” Lane tried twice more to get her friend’s attention, finally succeeding on around the tenth attempt.

“Huh? I’m sorry, what?”

“You were helping me cut down this list of musical influences for my drummer-seeks-band ad, and I already ran through everything from A to C and you haven’t said cut once.”

Rory looked down at the paper on the table, though her eyes weren’t really seeing the words. She should be concentrating, she knew she should, but she really wasn’t.

“I’m so sorry, Lane,” she said, shaking her head. “I guess I have a lot on my mind.”

“Anything you need to talk about?” she asked, watching Rory glance at Jess behind the counter and away again fast. “Trouble in paradise?” she guessed. “Because I’m really not sure I’m the best person to give advice on that. I can try, but-”

“It’s not Jess,” said Rory, keeping her voice low on purpose. “Or it is, kind of, but... It doesn’t matter,” she insisted, shaking her head in the negative one more time. “Mostly, I’m worried about the whole Harvard thing. The application anxiety has been setting in ever since the forms arrived in the mail and filling them out actually made it worse. I can’t even think about the essay part right now. So, let’s get to this list,” she said, taking the pages from Lane and starting again from A.

Rory tried to concentrate, she really did. Unfortunately, her brain was running a mile a minute with a hundred other things. She hadn’t lied to Lane, the whole applying to college thing was a large part of why she felt so distracted, but Jess was another part. It wasn’t really his fault and she knew it. Francie trying to use him was just nasty on the part of the red-head, and more to get at Paris than at Rory herself. It was Shane that bugged her more, the brassy blonde from Stars Hollow High that seemed to like nothing better than showing up at the diner in the smallest shirt possible and leaning right over the counter whilst she talked to Jess.

He promised he had no interest in her. They weren’t even friends, just friendly, that was all. Rory didn’t want to be the kind of girl that asked her boyfriend to freeze out any other female who came within three feet of him, but where Shane was concerned, Rory was very much tempted.

“Um, so maybe get it down to just the most important influences,” she said to Lane, trying desperately to concentrate on her ad. “Like David Bowie.”

“Essential,” said Lane, nodding her head.

“Yes, he is, but maybe don’t list all his albums and your rating out of ten?”

“Especially if you’re going to get it so wrong,” said Jess leaning over her shoulder.

Rory jumped. She really hadn’t known he was there until he spoke. He pointed to the paper and scoffed. “Seriously? You ranked Scary Monsters higher than Ziggy? I used to respect you, Lane!”

They started a healthy debate on music that even Rory couldn’t quite keep up with, and usually she was not lost in a Bowie-based conversation. She sighed. At least she didn’t have to worry about Lane trying to steal her boyfriend out from under her. A best friend would never do such a thing.

It was grossly unfair, Rory knew, to not trust Jess more. Just because other girls were interested in him, it didn’t mean he was interested in them, in fact, he had assured her more than once that he definitely wasn’t. Maybe it was something she could talk to her mom about later, Rory considered. Relationship woes were Lorelai’s speciality after all, at least until she got together with Luke.


	6. Chapter 6

“I still say that brother and sister were a little close,” said Lorelai with a significant look.

“Mom!” Rory complained, squirming terribly in her seat. “Not the thing to focus on,” she reminded her. “Darren was a really nice guy, and he seemed to think I was Harvard material.”

“That he did,” her mother agreed, pulling up to a Stop sign. “You did good today, baby girl. Made a real good impression on that alumni. Alumnus?” she double-checked, still not sure she got that part.

“Alumnus,” Rory confirmed. “It did make me feel better to meet him, even if their family is all pressure-filled and crazy. I feel like I can breathe again about the whole Harvard thing.”

“Breathing is definitely of the good,” Lorelai agreed. “Of course, there’s something else on your mind that you want to talk about, and I really wish you’d spill it so I don’t have to tip you over!” she added with a smile. “C’mon, babe. What’s up? I know something is,” she said, pulling away into the flow of traffic again.

“It’s nothing really.” Rory shook her head, though she knew she was going to have to explain herself anyway since Lorelai would never give in. “And even if it is something, it’s all in my head and I’m being dumb about it. Unless I’m not, which would make Jess a bad person, and I don’t want to think that, because he really hasn’t given me a reason to.”

“Okay, okay,” said Lorelai, waving a hand before returning it quickly to the wheel. “One point at a time. Let’s start with why Jess might be a bad person,” she said, trying not to sound as freaked out as she felt.

There were many ways that a boyfriend could behave badly, and Lorelai wasn’t a fan of any of them, especially where her teenage daughter was concerned. She didn’t want to think that Jess was anything but a nice guy, not least because he was Luke’s nephew as well as Rory’s boyfriend, but she needed to know what was going on here. Lorelai really hoped it wasn’t what she most feared.

“Well, he’s not,” Rory confirmed. “I mean, I haven’t seen him do anything wrong. So far just talking.”

“Talking?”

“To other girls.”

“Oh, okay.”

Lorelai let out a sigh of relief as quietly as she could so she didn’t have to explain it. If Rory and Jess were nowhere near talk of sex, there was no way she was bringing up the subject and putting it into anyone’s head. That would be bad.

“So, Jess has friends that are female. I’m assuming we’re talking aside from Paris and Lane?”

“They are very much not the problem,” Rory agreed. “Louise and Madeline can be flirty, but I know Jess can’t stand them, at least not in that way. There’s this other girl, Francie. She’s a real... pain in the butt.”

She said it in such a way that Lorelai was pretty sure more choice words were running through Rory’s head, she just wasn’t prepared to use them. The name rang a vague bell in her mind and suddenly Lorelai realised why.

“Is this the charming Queen Bee type, head of The Powerpuff Girls at Chilton?”

“The Puffs, and yes, that’s her,” said Rory grumpily. “She’s pretty and smart and popular. I know I shouldn’t be jealous, and I’m not really, not of her, it’s just... I don’t like her being all over Jess. He says he doesn’t like her, and I’m sure he doesn’t, but I still don’t like it.”

“Well, hon, jealousy is a part of life. When you love somebody you can feel possessive of them, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Lorelai assured a pouting Rory, complete with folded arms. “The only problem would be if Jess was encouraging Francie, and if he’s not, the only issue is going to be you making a bigger deal out of this than it really is. I don’t think Jess would appreciate that.”

“Probably not,” Rory sighed. “And if it was just Francie, I probably wouldn’t care, but there’s another one!”

“Geez, what’s going on? Is Jess starting a harem or something?” asked Lorelai, eyes wide.

“Not helping!” Rory complained, before explaining further. “There’s this girl in town, her name is Shane. She’s started hanging out at the diner a lot.”

“Slutty blonde with a ‘tude?” said Lorelai, nodding her head. “Oh yeah, I’ve seen her. Luke really, really doesn’t like her.”

“Lane said similar things, which is why I’m so worried.”

“Oh, sweets, you can’t let it get to you,” her mother warned. “I know you know Jess better than I do, but do you really think he’d go for cheap, blonde, and easy when he has you? C’mon, he’s proven he has taste, and as much as I don’t like to judge-”

“Except for when you do it all the time.”

“-Shane does not really strike me as a Jess type of girl. Last book she read is probably ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.”

Rory laughed at that. It was mean to say and yet probably true. Shane didn’t seem like the bookworm type, and Jess really had no time for the unintelligent. Maybe she really was worrying over nothing. Jealousy was normal when you cared about somebody, Rory knew her mom was right on that, but she could really mess things up with Jess if she accused him of something she was already pretty sure he had not and would never do.

“Seriously, babe, if she bothers you, I don’t think it would hurt to tell Jess that, but please don’t accuse him of something unless you’re sure he’s guilty. You’ll do more damage than you fix. Take it from one who knows.”

“Thanks, Mom,” said Rory, smiling now and genuinely grateful for the advice,

Honestly, it felt good just to have talked about it with someone else, especially when that someone was her mom.

* * *

“Yes, Paris, but I have to go now. I’m hanging up the phone,” said Jess, even as his ‘sister’ continued to talk in his ear. “Seriously, what part of hanging up do you not get?”

Luke rolled his eyes as he was forced to squeeze past his nephew. Technically Jess was done working his shift so it didn’t matter that he was taking a call from Paris. The issue was that he was kind of in the way of things for as long as he was using the phone behind the counter. Not that Luke blamed Jess, he knew what Paris could be like, especially at the moment. Her college application process was an epic situation that she was freely pulling both Rory and Jess into at every opportunity.

“Y’know, you’re only so antsy because Rory is at her Harvard alumnus meeting,” she told Jess crossly.

“I’m sorry, have you completely lost it at this point?” he asked. “Why would my mood be affected by Rory’s meeting?”

“Because, it makes you think seriously about the future,” said Paris. “Rory is smart, you know this. It’s highly likely that Harvard will snap her up and then that’s it. She’s off to college, out into the big wide world, and where does that leave you? Big bad Jess Mariano has decided he’s too good for college. He’s cool, man, just surfing along, doing his own thing, but you won’t be so cool when me and Rory are gone and you’re all alone in Hicksville.”

Jess’ eyes went wide at her little speech. “You think a lot of yourself if you think I’d miss you that much,” he told her, though there was no real malice in his words. “And even if I would miss you or Rory, it’s not like you’re never coming back.”

Paris scoffed at that. “Four years is a long time, Jess, and I’m not saying that Rory is the type to stray, but put temptation in a woman’s path and it’s only natural for her to think about it. Anyway, you need to go and so do I. I’ll see you on Monday.”

She hung up the phone so suddenly, Jess physically flinched at the click. His mind was suddenly racing with thoughts he would seriously rather not be having. Paris was crazy, he reminded himself of that very firmly, as he hung up the phone and trudged over to a table to sit down. Paris was crazy and Rory would never, ever cheat on him. They were pretty solid, or as solid as a high school romance ever was. People stayed together when college happened, or if they didn’t, they survived. Jess wasn’t at all happy with the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach right now, or the weird spasm of pain that was echoing through his body. Clearly all this was causing a frown or similar because Luke came over and called him on it.

“You have a very weird look on your face,” he noted, taking Jess’ chin in his hand and turning his head so he could get a better look at him. “Are you going to throw up? ‘Cause if you are-”

“I’m fine” said Jess, pulling away. “Paris was being... well, Paris. She gets to me sometimes, that’s all. Especially with all this college crap.”

Luke opened his mouth then closed it again fast, shaking his head. It was so tempting to have another talk with Jess about the possibility of his going onto further education. Somehow this didn’t feel like a good time. Luke could only hope that with both Paris and Rory so dead set on going to Harvard, or in a pinch some other Ivy League school, maybe something would rub off on Jess. Maybe he would start to see sense when Chilton kept on reminding him of the wonders of college. Luke hoped rather than believed it were true.

“Greetings, diner folk!” said Lorelai, loud and happy as ever as she descended on the place.

“Hey,” Luke greeted her as he passed between tables. “You staying?”

“Wish I could, babe, but for me this is the flying kind of visit. Coffee to go?”

“Take a seat at the counter, I’ll be there in two minutes.”

Lorelai grabbed Rory and kissed her cheek, telling her she would see her at home later, and then headed for the counter, just as Luke had said. Rory sat down at the table with Jess and kissed him ‘hello’.

“Hey,” she greeted him happily. “Everything okay?” she checked.

“Sure, yeah,” he told her. “You have a good time at the Springsteens?”

“It was amazing!” Rory enthused. “Bruce says hi,” she joked before going on to tell Jess just about every detail of her visit with the Harvard alumnus and his family.

He was listening, at least most of the time, but his mind kept going back to that conversation he had with Paris a few minutes ago, and the twisting pain in his gut that just wouldn’t quit. He told Luke he wasn’t going to throw up but right now Jess wasn’t so sure that was true. Losing Rory, that would hurt like hell. The merest mention of the idea made him feel terrible.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” asked Rory after a while. “You look tired, or like you’re getting sick maybe?”

“I’m fine,” said Jess, knowing from the look on her face that she didn’t believe him, and not blaming her for that either. “I’m not sick, I just...” he trailed off, looking around to see Luke seemingly keeping an eye on them, and various townsfolk who were probably eavesdropping. “Can we go somewhere else?” he asked.

“Sure.” Rory nodded.

She had no idea what was going on, but she trusted Jess and if he needed to take her elsewhere she would go. He had a tight hold on her hand as they got up and left the diner, walking at a pace through town. They headed down past the school and then towards the lake. They were in the middle of the bridge before they stopped and Jess sat down with Rory beside him. She expected that once they had arrived at wherever they were going, Jess would start talking. Apparently, Rory was wrong, and that made her more than a little nervous.

“Jess, should I be worried about where this conversation is going?” she asked. “Are you... Is this a break up?” When his gaze shifted from the water at last and he stared at her, Rory couldn’t read his expression. The next thing she knew, Jess’ hand was behind her head pulling her in closer, and then he was kissing her like his life depended on it.

“Good answer,” she said breathlessly when the moment was over.

“Rory,” he said, forehead resting against hers still, “what happens when you go to Harvard?”

“I think you mean IF I go to Harvard,” she noted with a smile.

Jess looked very serious as he pulled away enough to clearly see her again.

“Either way, you’re going to college,” he said, “if not Harvard then somewhere else in the Ivy League. Not to go all Sweet Valley High on you, but what does that mean, for us?”

Rory shook her head. “I don’t know. I mean, I figure I’ll see you in holidays, some weekends. I can come visit here - I mean, I’ll want to see you and also Mom and Grandma and Grandpa - and you can come visit me too. You have a car now”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’ll have enough gas money to get there and back every other week,” he muttered, getting up and turning away, though he walked no more than a pace or two.

Rory scrambled to her feet and opened her mouth to speak, to make it better somehow, but she didn’t know how.

“Jess?” she said, her hand at his shoulder. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Me either,” he sighed, apparently defeated.

When he turned around to face her again, Rory wasn’t sure if she was expecting him to yell and cry or just pull her close and kiss her again. The latter turned out to be true, and she didn’t mind at all. She fell into the moment, arms around his neck as he pulled her tightly to him. It was nice to drown so beautifully in each other for a while, but when it was over, Rory knew the problem still remained. Jess was concerned about how they would carry on when she went off to college, and now Rory was thinking seriously about it too, she didn’t have a choice.

“Are we okay?” she asked when the kissing ended, their arms remaining around each other yet.

“Sure, yeah” Jess shrugged, knowing there was nothing else to say or do. He was a fool if he ruined what they had now for the sake of what may or may not happen almost a year down the line. “I guess we’ll just cross the Harvard bridge when we come to it.”

“We’ll make it work,” Rory assured him, her hand to his cheek. “I mean, you went back to New York for a while and that didn’t break us. So long as you don’t plan on getting tired of me or replacing me...”

“Nobody could replace you,” he told her definitely. “Ever.”

“Another good answer,” she said with a smile.

Rory was suddenly wondering why she was ever worried about girls like Francie and Shane hanging around. Jess was her boyfriend, he loved her and no-one else. If she hadn’t been sure before, she certainly was now as he kissed her one more time.


	7. Chapter 7

Family dinners were just one more thing Jess was having to learn to get used to. He didn't mind sitting around a table with Luke, Lorelai, and Rory. Actually it was kind of nice to have people in his life who wanted to listen when he chose to talk, and would share things with him like he mattered. Liz never cared all that much what was going on with him and really only spoke to him when she wanted to vent, rant, or cry on his shoulder. At the Geller house, they often ate all together, but Paris dominated conversation whenever she could, so it wasn't really the same as this.

With Luke dating Lorelai and Jess dating Rory, they were quite the tangled family unit, but they got along, and Jess couldn't find a way to hate it at all, though he did huff and sigh when encouraged to be social even in this small circle. Thankfully, Rory told most of the stories when it came to Chilton, keeping Jess from having to do so. Not that this latest one had to do with school.

“And the next thing I know, Lane has a towel on her head and she’s literally pushing me out of the window to go buy black hair dye!” she explained, complete with wild arm gestures. “It was crazy.”

“So, technically, she still has dyed hair,” Lorelai considered, having heard this story earlier and been given time to think on it.

“But dyed her natural hair colour?” said Luke, checking he had it right.

“Yes.” Rory nodded. “But it’s still a dye job”

“Power to the underlings,” said Jess, dead-pan as usual, even as he punched the air like a rebel.

Rory laughed, she couldn’t help it. “Anyway, for a couple of hours, Lane had purple hair and we have the photographic evidence to prove it.”

“Et voila!” said Lorelai, producing the picture with a flourish.

Luke’s eyes were wide as saucers as he looked at the photo.

“Why would anyone want their hair to be that colour?”

“Huh,” said Jess. “Looks cool. Shame she was too afraid of Mrs Kim to keep it. Not that I blame her,” he added quickly. “Seriously, she is maybe the only person is Stars Hollow that genuinely scares even me.”

“Really? The only one?” asked Lorelai. “Kirk doesn’t disturb you at all?”

“Kirk’s a different kind of scary,” Rory considered. “But hey, you were going to tell us about your talk at the high school. How did that go?”

Luke started laughing and Lorelai smacked him in the shoulder.

“Yuck it up, Butch!” she said, affecting a high-picked faux-cheerleader voice. “Just so you know, Sissy doesn’t think you’re so handsome when you laugh at her.”

“I’m usually pretty up on my pop culture and your Mom’s bits,” said Jess in a low voice, leaning closer to Rory, “but who the hell are Sissy and Butch?”

“Beats me,” his girlfriend admitted with a shrug.

“You don’t need to know,” said Luke definitely, “and I’m gonna do the dishes now.”

“Oh, Butch, don’t walk away from me, I’ll just die!” Lorelai over-acted, still in the same ridiculous voice.

Rory was laughing because it sounded so funny but she really wanted to know what was going on. Lorelai happily told her everything, all about Luke’s high school days as a track star. That was when Jess started to get real amused. Without even looking at him, Luke knew the kid was just cataloguing all of this into his brain as ammunition for later should they ever have a disagreement of any kind. It didn’t bear thinking about.

“Well, don’t stop there, Lorelai,” he said when her hilarious tale was over. “Why don’t you tell Jess and Rory what happened when you gave your talk, and what happened with the moms from the PTA after the event.”

“Hey, no part of that was my fault!” she said definitely, “but yeah, turns out that the students of Stars Hollow High are really, really interested in what it is to be a teenage pregnancy dropout,” she said, wincing at the memory of that particular part of the talk. “The PTA Mom Brigade was not happy.”

“They want a mother to hate on, they should’ve asked mine along,” said Jess, without looking up from his plate. “At least you raised your kid right and made something outta your life.”

Lorelai looked at Luke who shook his head. She wasn’t really sure how to react to that comment, but figured being grateful for the compliment couldn’t hurt. It was better than addressing Jess feelings about Liz, that was for sure.

“Well, thank you, Jess,” she said with a smile.

“Any time,” he replied, not looking quite so happy himself, but then no-one really expected him to when mentioning his mother.

The phone rang in the hall, breaking what might have been a tense moment. Rory jumped up from her seat and said she would go.

"It's probably Lane."

From the sounds of it, she was proven right and disappeared into her room talking animatedly about the wrath of Mrs Kim. Jess was considering leaving Luke and Lorelai alone and going into the living room with his book when is uncle suddenly turned to him.

“So, did you think any more about college yet?”

“Ah geez,” he groaned, spoon clanking in the dish as he pushed it farther away in a mild fit of temper.

Immediately, Jess wished he had moved faster. This was just the kind of conversation he really didn’t want to have, and especially not in somebody else’s house.

“No, come on," said Luke seriously, wiping his hands on the dishtowel and turning to face him. "I know you said it wasn’t for you but you gotta have more of a reason than that.”

Lorelai looked awkward, getting up from the table with the last of the dirty dishes to put in the sink. She wasn’t much for the washing of plates and utensils, but right now it seemed like a really good idea to take over where Luke left off so she wasn't in the middle of whatever explosion might take place next.

“Why are you so resistant?” Luke asked Jess, who sat turned slightly away from his uncle, arms folded across his chest. “Is it just because I’m telling you it’s a good idea? Because Paris is saying it? I mean, you’re definitely smart enough.”

“I don’t know, okay?" Jess snapped, rather more harshly than he intended, but he couldn’t help it.

Luke looked like he didn’t believe that, probably because it wasn’t entirely true.

“You don’t know?”

"I know you’re not helping and neither is Paris,” said Jess smartly, “but honestly? All I know for sure is that I don’t want to be tied down to more school, and... and I need money,” he admitted. “I need it now, and when I can finally get out of high school I can make more.”

“There’s more to life than money, Jess.” Luke sighed.

His nephew laughed, rolling his eyes for good measure also.

“That’s what people say when they have money.”

“Jess...”

“No, Luke!” he yelled, seeing where he was going and not liking it at all. “You are already paying for Chilton and letting me live at your place. You bought me a freakin' car for crying out loud! I already owe you enough. College would cost even more money, and... and I can’t deal with that!”

He was up from the chair and slamming out of the back door before Luke could say another word. He was just left standing there a moment with his mouth wide open, and was that way when Lorelai turned to see. The second she realised he had made up his mind to give chase, she came over to him, wiping her hands dry on the way.

“No, babe,” she urged him, seeing the frustrated anger in his eyes. “Let me go?” she urged him. “Take a breath, okay?”

Luke wasn’t sure what Lorelai was going to say to Jess that could possibly help, but he loved that she wanted to try. She probably had a point anyway. As wound up as he was, as emotional as Jess seemed to be, they were only going to get into a bigger fight if he went outside right now.

Lorelai let out a sigh of relief when Luke nodded and offered to finish drying the dishes. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how much help she was going to be, but she wanted to give it a shot. She didn’t know Jess as well as Rory or Paris could boast, but she had spent enough time with him via the girls that she couldn’t be any less successful than Luke had been in trying to get through to his nephew. She was glad when she realised Jess hadn’t gone so far. He was out on the porch, arms resting on the rail, staring out across the yard when she approached.

“Hey,” she greeted him with a half a smile. “You okay?”

“Peachy keen,” he dead-panned, barely acknowledging her presence.

Lorelai didn’t take offence, just moved up beside him and leaned there in a similar pose.

“I understand, y’know?”

“You do?” asked Jess, finally looking at her, one eyebrow quirked in apparent surprise.

“I do,” she confirmed, nodding her head. “See, my parents... well, they weren’t like yours, far from it, but Richard and Emily thought they knew what was best for me, just like Luke thinks he knows what’s best for you,” she explained. “The problem was that there was a lack of communication. They didn’t get me. I think you have an idea what that feels like,” she said, bumping his shoulder with her own. “So, anyway, my folks had all these dreams for me. Cotillion, college, good marriage, cute kids, in that order. I was supposed to grow up to be my mom, married to a guy just like my dad. I couldn’t stand that idea,” she said, shaking her head and staring out into the yard as if she was seeing the past play out across the lawn. “Me and Chris, we were gonna live the dream. College, maybe, but then out into the world, backpacking around Europe, sleeping on benches, waking up under the Eiffel Tower. Live fast, live long, be free.”

“Sounds good,” said Jess, making Lorelai smile all the wider.

“Yeah, it might’ve been, if it happened,” she agreed. “Instead, Rory happened, and the dream changed. For my parents it stayed very much the same, ‘cept the timetable moved up some. Chris was going to work for my dad, marry me, and we would raise a happy little family under the Gilmore regime.”

“You ran.”

“Like the wind, and I don’t regret going out on my own. It was the right thing for me, and for Rory. In the end, it all worked out, but what it did to my parents... It took me so long to realise just how much it hurt them to have me leave the way I did, to throw all their plans back in their faces.”

Jess knew what she was saying, at least he thought he did.

“You think I should go to college because Luke wants me to?”

“No.” Lorelai immediately shook her head, turning in to face him more. “No, Jess, I’m not saying that at all. What I think - and you don’t have to listen to me if you don’t want to, it’s a free country, man - but I think that you should give serious thought to your future,” she explained. “Luke is offering you an opportunity, and whether you take it or not, that’s up to you, but don’t not take it because you feel you don’t deserve it, or because you’re worried about the money, or some dumb reason like that. Luke wants what’s best for you, only good things, y’know? Please, don’t get mad at him for doing his best. It’s all a decent parent wants to do.”

Jess felt like maybe he ought to feel patronised by the way she was talking to him. Maybe he would have been if she hadn’t started with her own tale of parental woe. Lorelai had it tough, not dissimilar to Liz, what he said earlier held true. Lorelai had coped a whole lot better, tried a whole lot harder to do right by her kid and make a life for herself. He hadn’t really known that her parents weren’t in the picture for a long time, how much she disappointed them and alienated herself from them to make that life she and Rory had since built. He had a lot of respect for Lorelai, and that meant he had to take her advice into consideration. She knew whereof she spoke.

“Thanks,” he said eventually.

Lorelai smiled. “No problem, kid,” she told him, moving away a step. “I’ll give you a minute.”

She was almost out of sight when Jess called her name and got her attention back.

“It's just... The verbal thing, it comes and goes, with me.”

“I get it.” Lorelai nodded, “but if you ever do want someone else to talk to Jess - to vent, to yell, whatever - I’ll listen, and I'll try not to judge. Okay?”

“Okay,” he agreed, nodding also. “Thanks. Again.”

This time when Lorelai walked away he let her. Jess went back to staring out into nothing, giving serious thought to all Lorelai had said, as well as Luke before that. He had some big decisions to make, and probably an apology to give to his uncle. This whole situation, living amongst family and friends thar actually cared, it was a bigger learning curve than Jess ever really expected. School work came easy, navigating the streets of NYC never seemed all that tough, but small town living and getting used to being part of a real family, it was just not something Jess felt he could adjust to all that easily.

“Jess?” Rory called from the back door, coming to seek him out. “Hey. You okay?” she checked.

“Yeah,” he promised, finding a smile for her as he pulled her into a hug. “Y’know, your mom is pretty cool?”

“I like to think that's where I get it from,” she said with a smile.

Jess nodded, tucking Rory’s hair behind her ear and smiling too. “Can't argue with that.”


	8. Chapter 8

“You’re going to hate me,” said Lorelai as she came barrelling into the diner.

“Good morning to you too,” said Luke, moving past her with plates in his hands. “Also, that doesn’t sound likely.”

“No, really, you are going to hate me!” she declared, even more emphatically than the first time.

Rory left her mother to it and moved over to the counter. Jess was just shutting the register as she sat down.

“Hey,” she greeted him.

“Hey,” he replied in kind, leaning over the counter to kiss her ‘hello’. “Your mom okay?” he checked, noticing the way Lorelai was flailing her arms around as she followed Luke back and forth access the diner while he served.

“She will be,” Rory confirmed. “She has to ask Luke to move their date for next Tuesday.”

“Dare I ask why?” he said, grabbing a cup to pour Rory a large coffee.

“Grandma wants her to go to the Society Matron’s League’s annual antique auction.”

“Wow, that sounds like so much fun,” Jess dead-panned.

“Yes, that is what I said,” she replied in kind. “Also, you’re the best boyfriend ever,” she added, picking up her coffee cup with both hands and taking a long drink.

“I’d like to think you’d still say that even I didn’t supply you with coffee.”

Rory looked thoughtful. “There’s a fifty-fifty chance.”

Jess laughed at her gall, it was impossible to do anything else. “You want breakfast?” he checked.

“Um, maybe a muffin to go?” she considered. “Me and mom did the entire chicken section on the Chinese menu last night.”

“That was ambitious even for you two.”

“And yet.”

“Oh my God!” said Lorelai as she threw herself down on the next stool over. “My boyfriend is the best. Y’know he actually volunteered to come to Emily’s boring auction with me? That is dedication my friend. That is true love.”

“Or blind stupidity,” said Jess, handing Rory her muffin. “I’m just sayin’,” he told Lorelai, hands raised in mock-surrender when she threw a glare his way.

“Meh, either way, it was sweet,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Of course thanks to my deep unwavering love for your uncle Luke, I said he didn’t have to come to the auction. Besides, I kinda promised Michel he could go. He has this whole strategy for auctions. Something about paddle movements.”

“Dirty!” declared Rory.

“Exactly what I said!”

Jess rolled his eyes at the Gilmore Girls Breakfast Show, but was amused nonetheless. They were on their game so early, he was actually impressed too. Clearly, the coffee pot had been on early at The Crap Shack today.

“We should go if we wanna avoid traffic,” he said then, going to grab his jacket and bag.

Rory said goodbye to her mom and then set off for school. It was easier now Jess had a car, no waiting around in the cold and relying on the bus actually arriving on time. Plus in the privacy of the car they could talk about whatever they wanted without worrying other people would overhear.

“So, things are okay with you and Luke now?” Rory ventured.

It was a couple of days since the big blow out at her house, and as yet she hadn’t liked to ask how things sat with Jess and his uncle. Family was such a touchy subject with him, as was the whole going to college situation. It seemed safer to wait until he wanted to talk about it, but it was killing Rory not knowing. Jess was in a pretty good mood this morning, so she figured she’d give it a try. Worst case scenario, he would ask her to leave it alone and she could change the subject. Rory had four other topics in mind just in case that happened, but thankfully, it didn’t.

“Me and Luke are fine,” Jess confirmed, eyes on the road throughout. “We both kind of apologised, and agreed that we’re not talking about college or money for a while.”

“Okay.” Rory nodded. “Well, that’s good, that you’re okay. I’d hate for you guys to be all fighty over anything. I know he just wants what’s best for you, and you wanna do your best for him... and you probably don’t want me to say any more about this so I won’t.”

Rory stopped speaking and turned to look out of the passenger window. It was how she didn’t notice anything amiss when they pulled up at a red light, not until Jess was picking her hand up out of her lap and getting her attention.

“For the record, if I really want you to stop talking about something, I’ll tell you,” he said with a half a smile.

“Sounds like a plan,” she replied, squeezing his hand in hers until he needed it back to drive.

Rory leaned over and flipped on the radio when they started moving again. She and Jess enjoyed the music all the way to Chilton, and stayed in the car after they’d parked in the lot to hear the end of Ash’s ‘Girl from Mars’.

“You think anyone would notice if we just stayed right here?” asked Jess, leaning back in the driver’s seat and turning his head to look at Rory.

“Given they can see us through the windows, yes,” she told him, similarly seated on the passenger side.

“There’s a way to fix that,” he said with a look in his eyes that was unmistakable.

Rory giggled, turning pink at the implication, but she didn’t protest at all when he leaned over the gear shift to kiss her. They were lost in the moment within seconds. Jess had that effect on Rory, lately to the point where she could actually completely forget where she was and what day of the week it was. It’d be scary if she didn’t feel perfectly safe with Jess, if she didn’t trust him like she did. Still, given the public place, it was probably best that the moment was unceremoniously shattered by a rapping that started up on the driver’s side window. Jess didn’t even have to look to know who was there.

“Good morning, Paris!” he yelled as he pulled away from Rory and moved to wind down his window. “Can I help you?” he asked his ex-step-sister.

“What are you doing in there?”

“Nothing, Paris,” said Rory, getting out of the passenger side fast before Jess could make any kind of dirty remark. “We were just listening to the end of a really good song.”

“Amongst other things,” Jess muttered as he gestured for Paris to move so he could disembark too. “What has you so rattled this early?”

“While you two were playing tonsil hockey in your suped-up rust-bucket, some of us were being productive,” she said, arms folded across her chest. “Pretty sure I quashed that little coup that Francie was trying to co-ordinate in student council. Yeah, I put her right in her place. We shouldn’t be getting any more trouble from her.”

“Is she sleepin’ with the fishes, Bugsy?” asked Jess, clearly amused by how Mafia Paris made the whole thing sound.

“Stop it,” Rory warned him, playfully slapping his shoulder. “Francie should not have been trying to mess with the politics of Chilton.”

“I agree,” he admitted, “but does it really all have to be so dramatic? It’s only high school.”

“Only high school?” Paris echoed, looking ready to explode. 

“I know, I know, Senior Year, very important, Harvard application, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera,” said Jess. “Unfortunately, I have to get to class, so you’ll have to give Rory the speech instead. Sorry, Blue Eyes,” he apologised to his girlfriend, kissing her nose before walking away.

Rory sighed. “What’s really going on, Paris?” she asked her friend then, as the bell rang overhead.

Paris opened her mouth to answer and then closed it again. There was definitely something she wanted to say, and Rory was half-convinced it was about more than just school politics. She hadn’t been herself since Washington, and that could only mean one thing. Before Rory could test her one theory on the subject, Paris grabbed her arm and started off down the hall.

“We’re going to be late,” she declared, physically dragging Rory along.

“Paris, c’mon,” she said, tearing her arm free, not least because she was pretty sure she was going to get bruises before long if she didn’t. “I know we have to get to class, but something is going on with you. Is it... It’s been since Washington.”

“He didn’t call,” she suddenly snapped, lowering her voice when she realised people could hear. “Jamie, he never called me. We went out on our date, actually had a good time, and then he didn’t call. I didn’t really think he would, and honestly, I feel like I’m losing way too many IQ points as I say this, but I wanted him to. I still want him to, and I hate that he is in my head all the time, making me want him to call me when he won’t!”

“Oh, Paris.” Rory sighed. “I’m sorry he hasn’t called, but Jamie’s a nice guy. I’m sure he just lost your number, or maybe he’s just really swamped at Princeton. There could be a million reasons why he didn’t call.”

“Yeah, and chief among them is because he wishes he never laid eyes on me!” she huffed. “I hate myself, Rory. I hate that I feel this way about some stupid, stupid guy!”

“He’s not stupid, and neither are you,” said Rory kindly. “Seriously, Paris, I’m sure he will call, and he’ll have a perfectly reasonable explanation for why he didn’t do it sooner, and then you’ll laugh and wonder why you ever doubted him or yourself.”

Paris sighed heavily. “Maybe,” she admitted. “But now we really are going to be late,” she said, hurrying down the hall and encouraging Rory to follow.

“Right behind you,” she said, giving chase. “So glad I didn’t mention my date with Jess tonight,” she muttered to herself. “That would not have helped.”

* * *

When Rory and Jess went out it was rarely anywhere special, nothing that anyone would consider fancy. Half the time they just hung out together with a video and take out, either at her house or in the diner apartment. Actual dates were only as far as the movie theatre or dinner in some place other than Luke’s where they would talk about books and music and such. Tonight was no different, and yet they both had such a good time. They always did, and somehow, even after seeing each other in school all day and again at night, they never got bored of each other’s company or ran out of things to say. Of course, they weren’t always talking, and when it came to parting company on the front porch of The Crap Shack when it got late, words really weren’t on either of their minds.

“Mmm, you gotta let me breathe just a little,” Rory gasped as she pulled away from Jess only to have him pull her right back for another kiss. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” he said with a hint of laughter in his voice that was mostly full of desire.

“I don’t think I’ll be so attractive to you when I turn blue from the asphyxiation,” Rory noted, gasping for a different reason when Jess’ lips trailed down her neck.

“Rory Gilmore, the only girl in the world that can make asphyxiation sexy,” he chuckled near her ear. “But I guess you have a point. Besides, it’s late and your mom’s home, so I should probably go.”

“Probably,” she agreed, arms still tight around his neck. “Goodnight, Jess,” she said, for the fourth time since they got here.

“Goodnight, Rory,” he replied in kind, going in for one last kiss.

This time it really would be the last as the front door flew open and Lorelai’s voice carried out into the cold night air. Rory and Jess sprung apart like shrapnel, not least because Lorelai’s voice was not the only one they heard.

“Oh, you must be Rory,” said the strange little man.

“Yes, this is my daughter, Rory,” Lorelai confirmed. “And her significant other, Jess. Guys, this is Dwight, our new neighbour. He lives in Beenie Morrison’s old place.”

“That’s great.” Jess nodded once. “I’ll see ya,” he told Rory quickly, and with a salute-style wave he was gone in a flash.

“Smart kid,” Lorelai muttered, noting Jess’ hasty exit. “So, Dwight, great to meet you, but both Rory and myself really need to be getting inside now. It’s cold and late, we have to be up early in the morning, but I haven’t forgotten all the great detail you put into your request about watering the lawn and other assorted plants,” she told him, one thumb up in a positive signal, even as she dragged Rory into the house with her free hand and closed the door. “Have a good night!”

“What was that about?” asked Rory, watching Lorelai throw her back against the door and sigh.

“That was about a very, very enthusiastic new neighbour, who would not leave!” she declared with all the drama she possessed. “Seriously, he’s been here a half hour, talking constantly about the neighbourhood, the town, and his new house, and oh my God, his new lawn, which has to be watered at all these specific times and for specific lengths of time,” she explained, trudging into the living room with Rory right behind her. “And he’s going away on a business trip, so guess who is doing all the fun lawn watering?”

“I’m assuming it’s not Babette,” said Rory, watching Lorelai throw herself into the couch cushions and sitting down beside her. “Poor Mom.”

“I’ll live,” she declared, blowing her bangs off her forehead. “Anyway, how was your date?”

“It was... date-like” said Rory cryptically, though the smile on her face meant more than her words suggested.

“Rory?” her mom checked, sure she was missing something.

“I, er... I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something,” she admitted. “Something I’ve been thinking about lately, with regards to dating.”

“Dating,” Lorelai echoed. “The going out part of dating or the relationship part of dating?”

“Mostly the second one.” Rory nodded, looking an awful lot at her own hands in her lap. “It’s just... Well, me and Jess love each other, we know that, and when we’re alone, well, it’s not like you don’t know that we kiss and stuff.”

“And stuff,” said Lorelai, shifting uncomfortably. “Oh boy,” she added, figuring out all too suddenly where this was going.

“You said you were okay with me talking to you about this. Is that not true anymore?” 

“Yes. No. I mean, I want you to talk to me about this, if you want to talk to me about this,” said Lorelai, trying so hard to be cool and finding it almost impossible. “Rory, sweetie, you’re eighteen now. Remember that day with the huge party, the banners, the cake, and the nine choruses of ‘Happy Birthday’? That means you hit a pretty major age milestone, kid. You’re supposed to know your own mind at this point, and if your mind is telling you that you’re ready to take a step of some kind, then I trust that you know what you’re doing,” she said, as calmly as she could. “However, I would like to think that you’ll give serious thought to this kind of step before you take it, that you will remember that it has to be your choice, and not mine or Jess’ or anybody else’s decision. Also, protection, very important. Oh, I thought I was ready for this conversation,” she said, flailing some now and hating it.

“Me too,” Rory told her nervously. “And I know what you mean, about being sure. Honestly, I’m not there yet, but sometimes I think I could be, at some point, not so very far in the future. I wanted you to know that, which now that I think about it seems weird, because Jess doesn’t even know that, but yeah, there it is.”

Lorelai nodded. She was glad Rory felt she could tell her these things, and yet at the same time, she didn’t want to have to think about it. Her baby girl was growing up, and she was in love. It probably wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if Rory and Jess had sex. Lorelai would be a huge hypocrite if she tried to forbid them or anything, but right now she really, really wished that didn’t matter.

“Um, it’s late,” she said eventually. “Maybe we should call it a night.”

“Probably a plan,” said Rory, nodding her head. “Apparently we have a lawn watering thing to do tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” Lorelai nodded. “And for at least a week after that.”

“Great.”

“Yeah.”

Neither of them moved.


	9. Chapter 9

“You know you made quite the impression at the auction,” said Emily, taking a dainty bite of meat from her fork.

“Impression?” Lorelai echoed. “On who? Your Matron Society friends?” she checked, feeling confused.

“Well, yes, they were all very pleased to meet you,” Emily considered, “but I was actually speaking of someone specific. A man.”

“A man?” Rory checked. “Mom, you didn’t mention a man at the auction.”

“Because there was no man at the auction.”

“Really? Are you sure?” Rory giggled. “Should I warn Luke that you’re trying to make him jealous?”

“Rory, there was no man. Mom, seriously? Where’d you get the idea that there was a man?”

“Lorelai, I spoke to the man in question,” her mother insisted. “Peyton Sanders.”

“Peyton Sanders?” Lorelai echoed.

“Ah, Peyton Sanders,” said Richard. “Such a nice young man. I know his father.”

“Peyton Sanders,” said Rory, at which Lorelai gave her a questioning look. “What? I was feeling a little left out.”

Lorelai rolled her eyes.

“Okay, first of all, I don’t even remember meeting a Peyton Sanders, and second of all, Mom, I’m dating Luke, remember?”

“I’m sorry, Lorelai, I had no idea that the fact you’re dating Luke prevented any other man from speaking to you or finding you attractive,” Emily snapped. “Honestly, do you think I never meet any charming men just because I’m married to your father? Richard, you don’t actually believe that no other man ever speaks to me or compliments me just because I’m married, do you?”

“Of course not, Emily. What a ridiculous idea,” her husband told her before looking to his daughter. “Lorelai, you’re an attractive young woman with many fine qualities. There is really no reason not to have those qualities appreciated by other young men just because you choose to be squired around by the man who runs your local diner.”

“Well, thank you... I think,” she said, sure there had been a compliment in there somewhere. “And honestly, I really don’t mind being found attractive, desirable, or however else we're phrasing that, I’m just making sure that Mom understands, I am not available. I don’t want her encouraging the Peyton Sanders of the world to, I don’t know, ask me out or anything.”

“I’m sure I thought nothing of the sort,” said Emily, placing her flatware on the edge of the plate. “Even if you weren’t seeing anybody, I would hope I know better than to presume you might want MY help in finding a suitable man.”

Lorelai sighed and put her hand to her forehead. She couldn’t win, she really couldn’t. All she had tried to do was prevent a set-up with a guy her parents knew when she was already dating Luke, who she actually loved. Somehow that seemed to have offended Emily, potentially Richard as well, and made her a terrible person.

“I have special skills that even I don’t get,” she muttered turning her attention back to her plate since at least her dinner wasn’t going to get pissed at her for dating Luke and expressing no interest in any other man.

Rory tried to save the evening, and her mom, by changing the subject.

“So, the auction was successful, Grandma? Your charity raised a lot of money?”

“Yes, thank you, Rory, it did.” Emily smiled. “You could have come along you know, it was outside of school hours.”

“Oh, well, I was out on Tuesday,” she said, immediately regretting it when her grandma asked where she had gone and with whom. “I was, er... I was out with Jess, my boyfriend,” she said quickly, putting her attention back on her plate just as her mom had done, but unfortunately it was right at the moment that the dishes were removed from the table.

“Of course, you’re still seeing him,” said Emily coldly. “Well, that’s nice, I suppose.”

She made it sound anything but nice and Rory felt herself squirming. She felt like she should defend Jess but she really didn’t know what to say for the best. Anything she tried would probably be twisted around into something derogatory. Grandma had quite decided that neither Luke nor Jess were worthy, and it didn’t matter what she or her mom said to the contrary.

“I don’t think I’ve met this Jess yet,” said Richard out of the blue. “Is that true, Rory?”

“Um, probably, yeah,” she agreed. “I don’t know if you remember, but his mom, Liz, was married to Paris Geller’s father for a while.”

“Hmm, I believe I did meet her at a party,” he said, frowning at the memory. “Dreadful woman.”

“Jess would agree,” said Lorelai knowingly. “But he’s a good kid, Dad. He’s been through a lot, but now he’s living with Luke, and of course dating our Rory, his life’s really turned around.”

“Excellent, than it’s settled,” said Richard with a smile. “You shall bring Jess to dinner next Friday so that we can officially meet him.”

* * *

“No.”

“Jess, please!”

“No, Rory. I am not going to Friday Night Dinner at your grandparents house. Seriously, why would you even want me to?”

“Because,” she said, hurrying after him across the town square, “my grandpa really wants to meet you. He met Luke, and now thinks he needs to meet you too, because you’re important in my life, and I’m important in his life.”

Jess stopped walking so suddenly that Rory barely kept herself from slamming into his back. He really hated the idea of dinner at the Gilmore Mansion, but Rory had just told him how important she thought he was and it pricked his conscience. She was important to him too. He loved her, and they both knew it. She loved him too, and that was a concept he had a little trouble wrapping his head around. Either way, if they mattered that much to each other, they had to give a little every so often. That probably meant Jess should stop arguing and just go to Friday Night Dinner in six days’ time.

“Fine,” he sighed, eyes closed a moment as he contemplated what a sap he must be becoming to have agreed to such a thing.

“You’ll go?” Rory checked, suddenly in front of him when he opened his eyes.

“I’ll go,” he confirmed, watching her grin and jump with excitement, “but I am not dressing up, okay?”

“Wear what you want, surly frown included, just so long as you’ll come along!” she said, clapping her hands and pretty much throwing herself into his arms for a kiss. “Did I mention how much I love you?”

“I could stand to hear it again,” he told her with a smirk that lasted only as long as it took for her to lean in and kiss him one more time.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she told him, in between kisses that covered his face.

“Take a breath, jumpin’ jack,” he told her, holding her at arm’s length and rolling his eyes at her behaviour. “I have to be crazier than you are to agree to this thing.”

“Or maybe you’re just a much nicer guy than you want people to think.”

“Nah, that can’t be it.”

A beeping in Rory’s pocket got her attention then and she pulled out her pager.

“Oh damn!” she cursed. “It’s Mom. She’s checking I watered the neighbour's lawn, but I totally forgot!”

She set off at a gallop and did it so suddenly that Jess had to run to keep up with her. They cut down one street and then the other, arriving at the Dwight's house in record time. Rory went to grab the spigot and turned on the lawn sprinklers, before heading up onto the porch and picking up the watering can. She gave the pot plants there a little drink as Jess looked on from the gate, mindful of getting caught in the spray from the sprinklers. Rory headed inside to complete her watering duties and Jess leaned on the fence, pulling the book from his back pocket to read a few pages.

Five minutes later he heard the front door close behind Rory and he turned to watch her hurry to grab the spigot again and turn the water off.

“Oh no!” she gasped suddenly. “No, no, no... Jess!”

He ran in when he realised she was panicking, getting as soaked as she already was from fighting with the sprinkler controls.

“What happened?” he asked over the rush of water.

“It won’t turn off!” she cried.

“Move!” he told her, reaching for the spigot and forcing it onto the control.

With an almighty push and twist, Jess managed to stop the water, and there they both stood, dripping from head to foot in somebody else’s front yard.

“How’d you do that?” asked Rory, trying not to stare and finding it impossible - Jess always looked good, and yet somehow even better soaking wet.

“You just have to push and turn,” he said of the mechanism, though there was an absent tone to his voice.

He was having the same distracted problem as Rory, the fact her shirt had gone practically transparent now it was soaked through proving enough to hold his attention. She noticed where he was looking and why, blushing profusely at that, and at the fact she couldn’t stop the thoughts running through her head right now that really were not at all pure.

“Um, we should get dried off before we freeze,” she noted fast. “My house is closer.”

Grabbing Jess’ hand she dragged him behind her over to The Crap Shack. It wasn’t until they got into the house that his brain caught up with his feet.

“I don’t have clothes here,” he told her.

“Um, I can find you something,” said Rory, heading for her room. “Pretty sure the Harvard sweatshirt Mom bought me is over-sized enough to fit, and... well, I have some sweat pants that were always too big for me.”

She pulled towels from the linen closet, dumping one on the kitchen table for him, then disappeared into her room, already unbuttoning her shirt. Jess fought the urge to look. That view might make taking off his pants more than a little difficult in the long run.

“Dryer’s outside the back door, you can put your clothes straight in!” Rory called to him. “Here,” she added, an arm appearing out the door with the sweats she spoke of before.

“Thanks,” said Jess, taking them and changing quickly in the kitchen.

Beyond what suddenly felt like a very thin wall and a door that had been left ajar, Rory was also slipping out of her clothes and into dry ones, same as Jess. They were both extremely aware of the fact that they were next to naked and within feet of each other. Teenagers and their hormones could only cope with so much, and both were trying to think of other things when they finally had to face each other.

“Hey,” said Rory with a slight wave

“Hi,” Jess replied from his seat at the kitchen table.

Rory noted the sweat pants she had leant him still sitting on the table and her eyes widened.

“Sorry, but it felt too weird to wear your pants,” Jess told her. “I, er, threw on the towel. That’s okay, right?”

“Sure, yeah. It’s fine,” said Rory, swallowing hard.

Jess had on her Harvard sweatshirt, which had always been at least two sizes too large for her, and apparently was covering his lower half with nothing but a towel. The fact she was fully dressed didn’t seem to matter much if the way he was looking at her was anything to go by. Maybe he was remembering how she looked before, or maybe the Blue Crush look she had going on with her hair was really appealing.

“Clothes in the dryer,” she muttered, diving past him to add her pile to the machine.

She set the dryer going and returned to the kitchen.

“Shouldn’t take long,” she told him, shifting awkwardly. “I don’t know why I feel so nervous all of a sudden.”

“Me either,” Jess admitted. “Um, if you need to go dry your hair or whatever...”

“It’s fine,” Rory waved a hand, watching Jess push his own unruly curls back off his face - they moved right back to where they had been before. “Doesn’t really behave without the gel, does it?”

“Not entirely,” he agreed, clearly self conscious about it.

Rory smiled. “Actually I like it like this,” she said, coming to stand by his chair, running her fingers through the tangled mess of his hair.

Jess had a feeling she had no idea what she was doing to him right now. He had a lot of other feelings too, some he was going to have a real problem controlling if she didn’t stop already, but it seemed criminal to ask her to.

“Rory,” he said, her name coming out somewhere between a growl and a moan.

She looked down at Jess and met his eyes, seeing everything she was feeling reflected back. Inside of two seconds, she was kissing him. Inside of three, she was in his lap, his hands roaming over her body and hers over his. It felt good, almost too good. This was probably a really bad idea, but neither Rory nor Jess could remember why right now. His fingers crept up inside her shirt and she shifted in his lap, the towel slipping some. Rory was left in no doubt of what she was doing to Jess, and she was well aware of what he was stirring up inside of her too. 

The phone rang in the hall, startling them both. Rory practically fell off Jess’ lap in her hurry to get to it, trying not to think about what had almost happened, what that moment might have led too.

“Hello?” she said, trying to get her breathing even. “Oh, Mom, hi!” she said, suddenly sober as anything. “Yeah, I got your page. Sorry, I should’ve replied. Yup, watering is done for today, no problem.”

Rory was amazed she could hold a conversation at all right now. Moreover, she was amazed her legs held her up for the duration of said call. The moment it was over, she returned to the kitchen to find Jess, dressed in his own clothes again, fresh from the dryer.

“I should go,” he told her, tucking his shirt into his pants.

“Oh, okay,” she replied, nodding her head. “Um, I guess you should,” she mumbled, not sure what else to say.

It hurt to realise he wanted to leave so fast, even if she was aware that it was probably for the best. Jess could make her feel so much and so easily. If he stayed, they both knew what was likely to happen, and though Rory wanted it to in a lot of ways, ultimately, she knew she wasn’t ready. That didn’t stop her from being disappointed that apparently Jess didn’t even want to anymore. Sometimes it was tough balancing the intricacies of being a teenage girl.

Jess saw the frown forming on Rory’s face and started reconsidering his actions. He thought it was best if he left now, before he pushed too far and screwed things up. They really hadn’t talked about the whole sex thing. They probably should, but Jess didn’t know how. They usually didn’t go much further than second base. He tried for third a couple of times and she let him, but any further still seemed to be out of bounds. The way they were headed before the phone rang, Jess wasn’t sure he would be able to stop himself if they started again, and that wasn’t cool if Rory wasn’t ready. Now it seemed like maybe she wanted to. Maybe he had screwed up anyway. Jess lost track sometimes.

Walking around the table, he took Rory’s face in his hands and kissed her sweetly.

“We’re cool, right?” he checked.

“Yeah,” she promised him, letting her arms slide around him and encouraging him to kiss her again. “For the record, I was okay with that, before,” she said as they parted, gesturing to the seat they had occupied together not so long ago. “I don’t know if I would... If I’m ready for... y'know, yet,” she said awkwardly.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he promised her, lifting her chin on his finger until she met his eyes. “I’m not pushing.”

“I know, and I love that you’re not,” she said with a smile. “But I’m just letting you know that you won’t have to wait forever, I promise.”

Jess smiled and nodded that he understood, planting one last kiss on her lips before leaving. When he was gone out of the back door, Rory sighed heavily, thinking of what might have been.

“Maybe next time,” she said to herself, unable to keep from smiling.


	10. Chapter 10

“Huh.”

Jess was less than impressed by the demonstration in the town square by one of Stars Hollow’s more eccentric citizens, and he wasn’t the only one. The gathered crowd seemed generally underwhelmed by the whole event, and Taylor was giving them all the ‘I told you so’s in creation. Shaking his head, Jess turned on his heel and continued on back to the diner, whilst the townsfolk bickered and fussed like usual. He actually hadn’t realised Rory was at the front of the assembled group until she called his name and hurried to catch up to him.

“Pretty crazy, huh?” she said of the town loner’s unsuccessful protest.

“No more so than anything else in this town,” he said, kissing her. “Hi.”

“Hi,” she replied with a smile. “You didn’t see me over there?”

“I was way in back,” he explained. “Didn’t even plan on being there but-”

“But sometimes even you can’t resist a town event,” Rory finished for him.

Jess didn’t answer that, just smirked some more.

“So, tomorrow’s Friday,” she said, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders.

“Traditionally follows Thursday.” Jess nodded.

Rory clearly didn’t find him amusing. He could tell what expression she was wearing without ever turning his head.

“C’mon, Ror. You know I’m not exactly psyched about dinner with Adolf and Eva.” 

“You’ve been talking to my mother, haven’t you?” said Rory with a look, just as they reached the diner door.

“You called, loin fruit?” said Lorelai, appearing behind them.

“Have you been leading my boyfriend astray?” Rory asked her mother as they all entered Luke’s. “He just referred to grandma and grandpa as Adolf and Eva.”

“Well, you can’t deny there are similarities.” Lorelai shrugged.

Jess tried not to laugh as he dropped a kiss onto Rory’s cheek and got back behind the counter to help with the breakfast rush.

“Tomorrow night is going to be a disaster, isn’t it?” Rory sighed, dropping down into a seat beside her mother, allowing her head to fall onto Lorelai’s shoulder.

“Oh now, come on,” she said, putting her arm around her daughter and rubbing her back. “This is not a tragedy. A tragedy is three men trapped in a mine, or police dogs used in Birmingham.”

“Thanks, Mr Hausmann. Really helpful.” Rory rolled her eyes as she righted herself. “So, what held you up between the demonstration and here?” she asked then, smiling at Luke as he brought them both coffee.

“Oh, right. Mail man!” said Lorelai, producing envelopes from her over-sized purse. “We have bill, bill, catalogue, bill,” she sighed, flipping each one onto the table. “Ooh, special envelope for you, baby girl!”

She handed it to Rory who stared at it with a frown.

“Huh. Return address in Boston. From Dad?” she guessed, opening up the envelope. “Wow.”

“What, wow?” asked Luke as he returned to take their breakfast order.

“I don’t know,” Lorelai answered when Rory seemed struck dumb for a few moments. “Babe, you okay?” she checked.

“Uh, yeah. This... It’s from Sherry. It’s an invitation. To her baby shower,” she explained, showing the card to Lorelai.

“Wow,” she said, just as her daughter had moments before. “Um, you want to go?”

“Honestly? I really don’t know,” Rory admitted, looking a little overwhelmed.

“I’m guessing now would be a good time for bacon and eggs, side of pancakes... maybe the kind with chocolate chips?” 

“This is why I love you!” said Lorelai with real enthusiasm, pulling Luke down to plant a kiss on his lips. “At least one of the many reasons,” she confirmed.

“I do my best,” he told her with a smile he couldn’t help before walking way to get their food.

“I think,” said Rory suddenly, “that I should go. I mean, I know I don’t have to, but this baby that Sherry’s carrying is going to be my half-something, right? That’s a blood relation.”

“Very true.” Lorelai nodded.

“If I don’t go, I think maybe I’d regret it.”

“Then you should go.”

“I should. I will.” Rory nodded.

Lorelai smiled, proud of her daughter for coming to that decision by herself, and so quickly too. That was quite a feat for Rory Gilmore, Queen of the Pro-Con lists. Her mother had to agree she had made the right choice. As painful as it was for Lorelai herself to realise Christopher was going to be there for Sherry in ways he never was for her when she was pregnant, she couldn’t exactly be mad about that. She all but pushed him away back then, had no-one but herself to blame. That didn’t stop it hurting, of course, but she really did want Rory to be in Chris’ life, and to get to know her half-brother or half-sister when they came along. It was important.

“Hey, could we maybe not mention this to Emily and Richard tomorrow night?” she said eventually. “I know they like to know what’s going on with us, and it would probably be a great subject change if things get dicey between the grandparents and your boy, but... I don’t know, it’s probably selfish, but I could use one less occasion for Emily to remind me of what I could have had if I followed her plan, y’know?”

“That’s not selfish,” Rory promised her. “Of course, we don’t have to mention this at Friday Night Dinner.”

“Thanks, kid.” Lorelai smiled. “And y’know, I will try to help when the Jess roast begins.”

“For that, I am grateful.”

* * *

Jess felt like he had been over-prepped for Friday Night Dinner. He had now been given so much information with regards to the right things to say and not say, that he had no idea what any of it was anymore. He knew everybody was trying to be helpful, Rory most of all, but Lorelai had pitched in too, and even Paris had given advice, not to mention Luke. Everybody wanted him to make a good impression on the overlords of the Gilmore clan. Honestly, though he would never say as much out loud, Jess kind of hoped they liked him, more for Rory’s sake than his own, but he doubted it would happen somehow.

“You ready, slugger?” asked Lorelai, reaching towards the Gilmore’s doorbell.

“As I’ll ever be,” he told her, taking a deep breath.

“You’re going to be fine,” Rory promised, holding tight to his hand, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on his cheek for good luck.

The maid appeared in a second, ushering them inside and taking their coats. Emily and Richard were there in the next moment, the latter approaching Jess with a hand out to shake.

“And you must be Jess,” he said, smiling.

This was not at all the welcome he had expected, but Jess went with it.

“Hello, sir,” he said politely, shaking Richard’s offered hand. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Our pleasure, young man” said Rory’s grandfather kindly. “But please, no need to be quite so formal. You are welcome to call me Richard, and of course, this is Emily,” he introduced.

“Good evening, Jess,” she said, her nose in the air as she looked him over. “I hope you came here hungry.”

“Of course he did, Mom,” Lorelai cut in, beginning her deflection early. “He’s a growing boy, they’re always hungry.”

“I suppose I should have asked if there’s anything you don’t eat,” Emily continued, still staring at Jess, almost as if Lorelai had never spoken. “These days everything is so complicated with nut allergies and vegan diets.”

“I’m a carnivore. No known allergies,” Jess confirmed.

“Well, I suppose that’s something,” said Emily, every syllable as condescending as it could be.

She led the way into the living room with Richard and Lorelai right behind her. Rory and Jess brought up the rear, her gripping his hand tighter. He sighed.

“It’s going to be a long night.”

Everyone was furnished with drinks and conversation began again with Richard asking Jess what his interests were and how school was going. He gave the most polite, non-wordy answers he could, and Rory filled in the details to make him sound like some kind of genius and the best boyfriend ever. Before dinner was served, she had Jess himself believing he was a cross between Shakespeare, Einstein, and Cary Grant. He really didn’t recognise himself, but it was a small price to pay to know he was getting out of here alive tonight.

“And when you’re not excelling at Chilton or taking our Rory out somewhere special, what else do you do, Jess?” asked Richard, with what appeared to be genuine interest.

“I work,” he said, surveying his dinner with interest. “For my uncle Luke at the diner, and also lately at Wal-Mart.”

“How industrious,” said Emily. “I hear Wal-Mart is a wonderful corporation. Of course, we’ve never been in one of the stores, but we own the stock.”

“Thanks for the pay check,” said Jess.

Richard laughed at that like it was the best joke over.

“Well, I suppose any kind of work is suitable for now, whilst you’re still young and in school,” he considered, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of lamb. “I suppose you have greater ambitions for the future?”

“I don’t quite have it all figured out yet,” Jess admitted, heaping his fork with food in the hopes of filling his mouth to the point where Miss Manners wouldn’t allow him to talk much more. “I applied to a couple of colleges though.”

Rory started choking the moment those words left her boyfriend’s lips. Lorelai dropped her fork in the same moment, and Emily noticeably jumped in her seat.

“Lorelai, really!” she complained.

Jess hit Rory on the back when she seemed to be turning every possible colour that a person shouldn’t be and she recovered quickly, reaching for her water to help the food down.

“You okay, sweets?” asked Lorelai, sure she knew what had caused the choking fit but not willing to say so right now.

“I’m good,” Rory squeaked, looking at Jess who seemed very interested in his potatoes all of a sudden.

There was a chance he was lying, just saying what he thought her grandparents would want to hear. Rory couldn’t and wouldn’t blame him for that. She had been talking up every good point about him all night, and even embellishing here or there to stop her grandparents from cutting him down. So far, Emily had tried to be severe, but Richard had been super-polite and decent. Rory really wasn’t sure about the college thing though and didn’t want to question Jess on it now for fear of spoiling things. That would have to wait until later when they escaped.

* * *

They didn’t talk much on the way home. Lorelai dominated conversation, recapping the evening with her own colour commentary, complete with self-serving laugh track. Jess didn’t mind. He was just glad to have gotten out alive and unscathed. In fact, Rory’s grandpa seemed to actually like him. The grandmother was a whole other deal, but she had at least been some form of polite tonight and not openly attacked him. That wasn’t nothing.

Lorelai asked Jess if he wanted to be dropped off at the diner or if he was happy to walk from The Crap Shack. He said the latter was fine and the Jeep was duly parked in the driveway.

“I’ll see you inside,” Lorelai told Rory, knowing the teens would want to say goodnight in private, like always. “You did good, kid,” she told Jess, pointing at him as she backed up towards the porch.

“Thanks,” he said, nodding once.

Rory watched her mom go into the house, then turned back to Jess. She went easily into his arms for a good long kiss.

“Thank you for tonight,” she said as their lips parted, though their arms stayed around each other. “I know it wasn’t your favourite way to spend time.”

“It was fine,” he assured her. “Hey, I’m sorry about the choking incident. I never meant for that to happen.”

“Is it true?” asked Rory then, meeting his eyes. “That you applied to colleges?”

“Yes, it is true,” he said, looking awkward the moment the words were said. “I mean, I brought it up because I knew it was what your grandparents would want to hear, but yeah, it’s true. Don’t ask me why, I plead temporary insanity,” he said with a sigh. “I guess I just figured I may as well go ahead, see what happens.”

Rory smiled, maybe a little too much, though she tried to rein it in. She was wary of influencing Jess’ decision, or making him regret it. As sweet as it would be to think he did this for, it wouldn’t be quite right for him to do such a thing against his will just to please her. This was his life they were talking about. She wanted to be a big part of that but she had no plans on controlling it at all.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I think that’s a very smart decision,” she said, hoping not to sound too over-eager about his potential college attendance.

“Yeah, I figured you would,” he said, smiling because he couldn’t help it, “but could you maybe not tell Paris about this? At least, not right now,” he urged her, smile slipping some. “I don’t think I can handle her thinking she got to me like that.”

“I promise I won’t say a word,” said Rory, pulling him closer. “And thank you again, for tonight. You really were great.”

One goodnight kiss led right into a couple more, until finally Jess pulled away and promised to call Rory tomorrow. She all but floated to her front door, having really enjoyed a night that she had originally been quite worried about. Sometimes things just worked out for the best, she supposed. Tonight really had gone so well.


	11. Chapter 11

“Well, that was...”

“Yeah, it really was.”

Rory knew implicitly what Lorelai meant by her non-comment so it was easy to agree with her. They had both ended up attending Sherry’s baby shower, and boy, what a big mistake that had been. Rory had thought it would be okay, that it was a nice gesture on Sherry’s part to invite her, and a good idea on her part to attend. They were talking about her future half-sibling, Rory wanted to get to know the kid, and said kid’s mother too. Of course, when Sherry realised that Lorelai was dropping Rory off in Boston, she insisted that both Gilmore girls come and join in on the fun. Fun really was not the correct word to use!

They were half way home before they had gotten over the shock enough to even talk about it.

“How did we end up with so many devilled eggs?” she asked then, looking down at the Tupperware box in her lap.

“Take the devilled eggs! Take the devilled eggs!” Lorelai repeated over and over in a very unflattering voice. “My God, I thought she was physically going to insert them into our bodies if we refused too many times.”

“Eeew!” Rory declared, with an expression to match. “But seriously, I don’t even think I liked devilled eggs.”

“Meh, we’ll give ‘em to the poor, or let them die in the back in the refrigerator, or something”, said Lorelai, waving her hand dismissively. “Right now, I can’t think about it anymore. I just want to get home to my man and pretend this whole event never happened.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Rory agreed, checking her watch. “The diner must be closed by now. If you wanted to take Luke back to ours, I’m more than happy to hang out with Jess for a while.”

“I’d say you’re a good kid, but I think we both know it’s not exactly like you’re throwing yourself on a grenade for me here.” Lorelai smiled. “Things are all kinds of good with you and the boyfriend, huh?”

“They’re not bad,” Rory agreed, blushing profusely. “Um, that thing we talked about before? It hasn’t happened yet. I would’ve told you if it had.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, I think.”

The awkward moment ended the conversation for a while and Rory cranked up the radio to compensate. She felt the need to change the station when ‘Baby, I Love You’ started to play, Lorelai muttering that Sherry had probably ruined that particular Ramones classic for her now.

All in all, Rory kind of wished she had never agreed to go to the baby shower. She wouldn’t be making that kind of mistake again. She told Jess as much when they were alone in the diner apartment some time later.

“Sounds like a nightmare,” he agreed, “especially having your mom and your step-mom in the same room.”

“Well, they don’t hate each other or anything. I mean, Sherry didn’t exactly steal Dad away from Mom,” Rory considered. “It was just so weird, hearing her talk about my dad like she knew him better than anyone. No-one knows Christopher Hayden better than Lorelai Gilmore.”

“Are you applying playground rules to this situation?” asked Jess, amused by the idea. “Like you and your mom had your dad first so that makes him more yours than the new family’s?”

“Yes!” said Rory, nodding emphatically, a smile breaking through. “I know, it’s dumb, but that’s just how I feel. Oh, I wish I never went to the stupid baby shower!” she declared then, leaning over on the couch until her head fell against Jess’ shoulder. “Never again.”

“Bet I know something that’ll make you feel better,” said her boyfriend, nudging her shoulder.

Rory glanced up with a look in her eyes that as unmistakable and Jess almost decided to go with what she thought he meant rather than the truth. Could be a really good idea, but it seemed unfair when that hadn’t been the plan. Besides, when they finally got to the point where she was ready for the next step, he would kind of like it to be about the two of them and not just making her feel better after a rough day with the step-mother.

“I was talking about coffee and left over pie,” he told her, kissing her nose. “Somebody has a dirty mind.”

“I blame you.” Rory sighed. “I used to be such an innocent young thing.”

“C’mon, Marcia Brady,” he said, rolling his eyes as he got up from the couch and pulled on her hand.

They headed down to the diner and Jess was as good as his word, getting Rory a large coffee and an even larger slice of cherry pie. He got himself the same and they sat down at the counter to eat, not even worrying about going back up to the apartment. Perhaps they should have done so, since even with only the minimum of lights on, folks walking by could see in. Anyone could have been spying on them, or even knocked on the door wanting entry to the diner. When someone did try it, Jess yelled that they were closed, but still they persisted.

“Read the sign, idiot!” he said next, turning to see what fool wasn’t getting it, then he sighed. “You have got to be kidding me!”

“Paris?” said Rory as she turned to see her staring in through the glass with an almost angry expression. “What is she doing here?”

“Being a pain in the ass?” Jess suggested, unlocking the door one bolt at a time. “Hey, sis!” he said, with the biggest grin possible and all kinds of sarcasm.

Paris blew right past him without a word.

“Rory, I need your article for the Franklin.”

“And a good evening to you too, Paris.”

“Fine, good evening, whatever,” she countered, rolling her eyes. “Franklin article, now. Please?” she tried when Rory didn’t even flinch.

“I don’t have it here,” her friend told her, shaking her head. “Why would I have it here?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Paris asked her seriously. “Rory, I really need to get a head start on the next issue of the Franklin and I want to do that this weekend, so I need your article. I have the draft, but you said you were going to rewrite it, which will doubtless change the word count and possibly even the tone of the whole piece. I need it now!”

Rory looked at Jess and he looked right back.

“You’re going home, aren’t you?”

“I don’t think I have a choice,” she sighed. “But how about this, you could come with us, we could get the article for Paris and then pick up a movie from the video store on the way back. Your choice and I won't complain at all. Sound good?”

It wouldn't be much of an offer from anyone else, but to get a Gilmore to relinquish movie choosing rights was kind of a big deal, Jess supposed.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

“Why are we going in the back door?” asked Paris as Rory led her and Jess that way into the Crap Shack.

“Because, my mom has Luke here for a date,” she explained, trying not to make a face when she thought about it. “I don’t know where they’ll be or what they’ll be doing.”

“Well, Lorelai is still a fairly young woman. I suppose she has needs,” Paris considered. “Must be weird for you two though. I mean, your mother, his uncle,” she said, tilting her head towards Jess. “Almost twisted.”

“Paris? Shut up!” said her ‘brother’ crossly. “Let’s just get into Rory’s room, grab the article, and get back out.”

“Easy, man. Don’t get so excited,” Paris told him. “I know you like the idea of where this evening is headed after I leave, but another half hour won’t actually kill you.”

Jess was just about ready to explode at her when Rory shushed them both and moved to open the back door to the house. She crept quietly through the kitchen with Paris and Jess right behind her, and they all three made it to the bedroom just as footsteps could be heard on the stairs.

Rory let the other two moved past her and then pulled the door almost closed behind them. She could just as easily let her mom and Luke know they were here but somehow she would rather not. They were probably having some kind of romantic night that may or may not involve a lack of clothing. As happy as she was for the two of them being together, she did not need to think about the naked parts of their relationship, not ever!

Grabbing her article from the desk, Rory handed it to Paris and asked if she was happy. A quick skim over the text seemed to produce a satisfied expression.

“Reasonably happy,” said Paris, nodding her head. “Okay, I guess I can get out of your hair now.”

“Thank you,” said Jess, smirking when Paris looked his way. “What? You weren’t exactly invited.”

“Not now, kids,” Rory warned them, moving to the door.

She started to open it then quickly changed her mind when she heard yelling in the living room. It was Luke and Lorelai, there was no-one else it could be, and neither of them sounded at all happy.

“I never said that, Luke!”

“It’s what I heard!”

“Then, as Judge Judy would say, put on your listening ears! I am not jealous of Sherry, okay? I don’t want her fiancé or her apartment or her baby. I am not jealous!”

“But you don’t like her because she’s with Christopher. I’m not stupid, Lorelai, I do know what that means!”

“It means I don’t like that somebody I care about is with someone so awful and not at all his type. What is wrong with that?”

“A whole lot is wrong with that if you think you’d be better for Christopher than she would!”

“So what if I would? It doesn’t mean I want to be with him!”

Rory looked just about ready to bawl as she stood there listening to Lorelai and Luke tear lumps out of each other. Jess wasn’t exactly enjoying it either. Even Paris looked sad. These people had been good to her too, and right now they were none too happy with each other. All Jess knew for sure was that they should not be here. If Lorelai and Luke knew they could hear, it would not end well.

“C’mon”, he said quickly, poking his head out of Rory’s room and ensuring the coast was clear.

A gesture of his hand had the girls following as they all bolted through the kitchen and back out of the door onto the porch.

“Well, I should go,” said Paris flatly. “Um, thanks for the article,” she told Rory and then she was gone.

Rory didn’t react at all, didn’t even seem to hear her. She stood stock still on the porch, staring back into the house. From here, she couldn’t hear a thing, much less see. Jess figured that was a good thing, but it didn’t take away what she had heard before. She knew there was a fight going on in there, even if she wasn’t bearing witness to it.

“Let’s go,” he urged her, an arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into his embrace and allowed herself to be led away, but Rory wasn’t happy. She hated when people she loved fought, especially over something so stupid. There was no way her mom wanted to get back together with her dad. For a long time that had been the dream for all of them, a happy little traditional family unit. That dream had passed by a long time ago now, and Rory was totally happy having Luke step into the role of father figure for her as well as boyfriend for her mom. It just worked, without any effort most of the time. Now apparently things were different.

By the time they got back to the diner, Jess had forgotten they were ever supposed to pick up a movie and he certainly wasn't going to mention it now. Rory probably wasn't in the mood to face people or cared at all about the rest of the evening. He couldn't really blame her.

“You know they’ll be fine, right?” he said when they were back in the apartment.

Rory hadn’t spoken the whole way home, but Jess needed her to now. The silence was starting to get to him.

“I guess,” she said eventually. “It’s just awful hearing them so mad at each other. They never really fight.”

Jess wasn’t sure what to say to make her feel better. The verbal thing kind of came and went with him and he certainly wasn’t any kind of expert on normal functioning relationships. His mother’s track record with men was atrocious and his own frame of reference when it came to real dating was shockingly small. Before Rory, it had all been random dates and girls that only wanted him for the same reason he wanted them. How love and the whole long-term relationship deal was supposed to work, he really had no idea.

Pulling her close, he did the only thing he knew how to make her feel better - he kissed her. She fell into the moment with him, until they hit full make out mode, almost horizontal on the couch before long. He didn’t plan on pushing his luck, not in these circumstances, but clearly the thought had occurred to Rory as she made plain when she wriggled to get out from under him.

“Jess, we need to talk about this,” she told him suddenly.

“I wasn’t trying to-”

“I know,” she cut in. “I know that you weren’t, not today, but... Well, we keep getting close to... the issue,” she said awkwardly, “and after today... Well, spending so much time around baby stuff... Y’know, Sherry got pregnant by accident? So did my mom.”

“Rory, you don’t get pregnant every time you-”

“I know that,” she jumped in again before Jess could finish, though he didn’t seem to mind. “I’m not stupid. I also know there are precautions you can take.”

“Which we would,” he promised her.

“I know we would,” she agreed, hardly able to look at him when she was saying this but knowing she had to. “It’s just... I’m sorry, Jess, it’s just made me feel not as ready as I thought. At least, not right now,” she explained as best she could. “Are you mad?”

Jess rolled his eyes at what he considered to be a very dumb question. He took Rory’s face in his hands and pulled her close to kiss her lips sweetly.

“Not mad,” he promised her faithfully. “A little disappointed? Sure, but I promise you, not mad. What kind of guy would I be if I was?”

Rory smiled, she couldn’t help it.

“Not the awesome guy that I love, that’s for sure.”

That got a smile out of him too, and at least when she kissed him this time, Rory felt sure they both knew where they stood. It would be wrong to go that far tonight anyway, she knew, because it would be to make herself feel better about a crappy day and not about her and Jess loving each other like it should be. Kissing was fine for now, and they were both okay with that. They had all the time in the world for everything else.


	12. Chapter 12

“And I just think that if you meant all that stuff you said before about still wanting to act like we’re family even after the termination of that ridiculous sham of a marriage between my father and your mother, that you would actually help me out a little with this one thing!”

Jess waited until he was sure Paris must have finished her latest Franklin-related rant before he replied at all.

“Are you done?” he double-checked.

“Yes,” she replied, nodding once. “So?”

“So? I told you fifty times already, I don’t wanna be a journalist. That’s strictly Rory’s department.”

“You don’t have to want to be a journalist, Jess!” she reminded him crossly. “My aspirations fall into the law or medicine, nothing even remotely related to running a newspaper, but that doesn’t mean The Franklin isn’t great experience. It’ll look good on my college applications, and on yours if you actually chose to go ahead and apply.”

Jess shot her a look that wasn’t quite enough to shut her up on its own.

“You really think that the way to get me to do you a favour is to bring up another topic that makes me mad at you?”

“Point taken.” Paris shrugged. “Regardless of college, The Franklin is a great extracurricular activity. There’s a chance you could use what you write for extra credit or even in replacement of an English assignment. Miss Tanner likes you, she’d probably let you do that. C’mon, I’m playing right into your underlying slacker tendencies, what more can I do? I’d pitch it via the hot girls that work in the office, but you have tunnel-Rory-vision so what good would that really do me?”

She stopped walking, blocking the door, and forcing Jess to face her. Paris was really good at infuriating, but unfortunately for Jess, she was also pretty good at pathetic and desperate. Plus he had said that stuff about still treating her like his sister regardless of family ties. Letting her down left and right didn’t really seem fair.

“I’ll think about it,” he said grudgingly. “But even if I do this, it’s not gonna be a regular thing. This is because it’s your anniversary issue and I really don’t want your head to spin around and explode.”

The smile that came over Paris’ face then was just a little too triumphant but Jess let it slide this once. It was kind of cool to see her happy. She was crabby as hell for the most part since Washington, which apparently had a lot to do with the guy she had been on her first ever date with. At least that’s what Rory said, followed by a long guilt-filled ramble on how she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, not even Jess. Thanks to that particular news, he hadn’t really be able to sympathise with Paris, which was probably a good thing because he wasn’t sure he’d know where to begin.

“Oh, by the way, how are things at home now?” she asked, turning back from the door that they almost made it through that time. “With Luke and Lorelai, I mean?”

“Okay, I think.” Jess shrugged. “They seem like they got past whatever it was. I don’t know, Rory tried to talk to her mom but she wouldn’t say much, and Luke says even less.”

“Like uncle, like nephew when anything emotional happens.” Paris rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, ‘cause you just love to talk about your feelings,” Jess reminded her, moving past her to open the door to get outside already.

Paris followed, mouth running a mile a minute again, at least until she turned from looking at Jess to looking at some other guy. Jess didn’t know him, but he would make a good bet that the stranger did not attend Chilton. He looked like he could be older, and he wasn’t wearing the uniform. Paris’ mouth had dropped open the moment she saw him, but right now, no sound was coming out.

“Who’s this?” asked Jess, wary as ever of people he didn’t know, especially when they were walking towards somebody he cared about.

“Hey, Paris,” said the stranger. 

“Er... Jamie,” she forced out eventually. “Hi. Um, how are you?”

“I’m good,” he told her, nodding his head.

Jess continued to stare at the person he now knew to be Jamie and his expression wasn't particularly friendly.

“So, this is the guy from Washington?” he checked.

Jamie looked from Paris to Jess and frowned. Clearly he was putting two and two together and making ninety nine, which was why it was probably a good moment for Rory to walk into the picture.

“Jamie? Wow, what are you doing here?” she asked the moment she saw him.

“Hey, Rory. I was just... Um, I came to see Paris, obviously,” he said, gesturing towards her, though his eyes were back to Jess’ intensely unfriendly gaze.

“Of course you are.” Rory smiled. “Well, this is Jess. My boyfriend. He and Paris are kind of brother and sister, but that’s a long story.”

“Oh, this is Jess?” he replied, the relief evident in his posture and his voice suddenly. “Paris told me all about you. Good to meet you, man,” he said, holding out a hand for Jess to shake.

“You sure about that?” he checked, even as he shook hands.

“Jess, play nice,” Rory urged him in a whisper. “Jamie is a good guy.”

“Good guy who didn’t call for over a month?” he checked, loud enough to be heard.

Paris socked him in the arm.

“Oh, no. I should apologise for that. I mean, I was going to call,” Jamie told Jess as much as he told Paris. “But school was so crazy...”

“This is really none of our business,” said Rory, pulling Jess away. “Great to see you Jamie. We’ll catch up with you later, Paris,” she added with a wave goodbye.

Jess was not at all amused to be pulled away from the scene, but he went, because it was Rory.

“Protective big brother, much?” she checked, trying to get her boyfriend’s attention away from the scene.

“Hey, how much do we know about this guy?” he asked her. “Paris doesn’t date, and this guy is older and he’s been messing her around, not calling for weeks.”

“Well, some guys don’t always call, even when they say they’re going to.”

“Hey, that happened once.”

“Twice actually, not that I’m keeping count or anything.”

She was wearing a smirk that would rival any he had ever worn himself, which is why Jess neither took offence nor really got mad. He was wary of this Jamie guy though, even if Rory thought he was okay. He meant what he said about Paris, she really wasn’t the dating type, and for all that she bugged him at times, he wasn’t about to watch her get screwed over by some smug dick from Princeton.

“Y’know as over-the-top as I think you’re being, it is really sweet that you’re looking out for Paris like this.” Rory smiled, finally getting Jess’ full attention.

“Yeah, ‘cause sweet is what guys go for,” he told her, rolling his eyes.

He minded less when Rory kissed him.

“Sweet is good,” she told him definitely. “If it helps you’re also very smart and insanely hot.”

“Doesn’t hurt to hear,” he told her, smirking before he kissed her back.

They were done with classes and so headed to the car to go back to the Hollow. Jess glanced back a couple of times to check on Paris, only to see her being led away to Jamie’s car with the guy himself carrying her books. Rory gave a thumbs up and got one back from her friend, which satisfied her that things were cool. Jess had to give in and agree that Paris seemed happy to see Jamie and that he probably wasn’t a serial killer or anything. He wouldn’t say any more about it now, not least because he didn’t want to be called any more adjectives in the area of sweet.

Just past the ‘Welcome to Stars Hollow’ sign was where Rory decided to broach a new controversial subject with Jess.

“So, the Dance Marathon is coming up this weekend.”

When that statement was met with not only silence but not even the slightest change in expression, Rory tried again.

“Me and Mom have been taking about it, the Dance Marathon, I mean. She always enters and I was thinking maybe I would, either with her if she struggles to get a partner or with someone else, maybe.”

Still nothing. It was as if Jess had been struck both deaf and dumb somewhere between Hartford and home. Rory knew he was pretending, obviously, that he could hear every word and just wasn’t willing to give an answer because he knew it would be one she would dislike. Jess was the least likely person to attend a Dance Marathon unless it was to make fun of everybody else who was dancing, but Rory figured it had been worth a shot.

With the car parked up outside the diner now, Rory hopped out, not even looking at Jess as she headed towards the diner door. Suddenly her boyfriend was in her path, pulling her close and kissing her thoroughly. It came as such a shock that Rory really didn’t have time to get a breath in and was practically passing out by the time Jess was done. Good thing he was holding her up really.

“You wanna win this dance contest?” he asked her seriously.

“Not really,” she admitted. “I’m not sure I wanna be awake long enough for that, quite honestly, I just... I’d like to be a part of it is all.”

“Okay,” said Jess.

Rory shook her head. “Hold on a second. Rewind and explain. What’s the okay for?”

“Okay, I will be your partner in your stupid Dance Marathon,” he said, all in a rush, watching Rory’s expression grow more ecstatic by the second, “but, there are ground rules,” he told her definitely. “We are not going to be on the dance floor for more than a couple of hours, I am not doing any moves made famous by Travolta, Swayze, or similar, and if anybody laughs or makes fun of me for taking part, I am allowed to punch them in the face.”

“Unless it’s my mom.”

“Unless it’s your mom,” he agreed.

“Deal,” said Rory happily, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his face. “Did I mention you’re the best boyfriend ever?”

“Yeah, well, I’m only doing this because you’re the best girlfriend ever,” he said in reply, so quietly she barely heard him, but that was okay.

They went into the diner then, arms around each other, only to find a glum looking Lorelai alone at a table. It kind of took the edge of Rory’s good mood.

“Mom? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Everything,” she huffed. “Nobody wants to be my partner for the Dance Marathon,” she complained. "I'm guessing because I'm dating Luke and they feel awkward? I don't know!"

“I’m guessing you asked Luke already,” said Jess as he joined her and Rory at the table.

“Are you kidding?” she scoffed. “Asking Luke to dance would be like asking the Pope to convert to Judaism - as in not gonna happen, my friend,” she said definitely.

“But he loves you,” Rory reminded her. “People do all kinds of crazy things when they’re in love,” she said, grinning at Jess - she couldn’t help it.

“Ain't that the truth?” he agreed, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, but... Well, things have been weird this past week anyway. I should’ve told you, but we had this fight. It was minor, really, or maybe it wasn’t, but we figured it out,” she explained vaguely, waving a hand in an absent motion. “Bottom line is we’re okay now, but I think maybe it’s the wrong time to be asking for big stuff like for Luke to do a really non-Luke thing.”

“You ladies want coffee?” asked Jess, then off the looks on their faces he added; “Right, dumb question.”

He walked right up to the counter, catching Luke just as he was about to walk out from behind there with a couple of plates and gestured for him to follow him behind the curtain. Luke looked confused, handing the plates off to Caesar as he went after Jess.

“What?”

“I know you fought with Lorelai over Rory’s dad.”

“You what?”

“Look, me and Rory and Paris came by the house to get something last week and we heard you two fighting. It’s no big deal and we didn’t say anything ‘cause we didn’t wanna make things worse, but it’s starting to look like things can’t get any worse, so what the hell?”

“What do you mean things can’t get any worse?” asked Luke, adjusting his hat. “Has Lorelai said something?”

“Not exactly. Only that you guys had some problems but they’re fixed now,” Jess admitted. “But they can’t really be fixed because instead of bugging you until you go crazy about this Dance Marathon thing, she’s too afraid to even ask you to be her partner.”

“She wouldn’t ask me to do that anyway, she knows I don’t dance.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m a regular Fred Astaire.”

“She asked you?” Luke frowned, not getting it.

“No, Rory asked me.” Jess rolled his eyes. “Lorelai wants to ask you. By the sounds of it, she already asked everybody else first, which can’t be right when she’s actually dating you.”

Luke gave that a little thought and realised it was very true. Not that he liked having it pointed out to him by his nephew, but apparently it was necessary.

“She really wants me to partner her?” he checked.

Jess put a hand on his uncle’s shoulder and looked too serious.

“Help her, Luke-Wan Kenobi. You're her only hope,” he said. “That’s Star Wars,” he clarified.

“I know that. I saw it before you were born, wise ass,” Luke replied, shoving his hand away and striding back through the curtain.

Jess was laughing when he peeked through to see what happened, he couldn’t help it. Next thing he saw was Lorelai reacting to Luke very much how Rory had reacted to him when he said he would go to the stupid Dance Marathon. He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to make all these women happy today. Maybe it had just caught up to Jess how much they had all helped him these past few months, and perhaps a little payback was due.

“Two down, one to go."


	13. Chapter 13

“Well, we went for coffee, and he talked about how he had a great time on our date, and how he finds me fascinating, and how he thought about me all the time,” said Paris, talking a mile a minute and grinning the entire time. “Okay, there, happy?”

Rory was happy. In fact she was thrilled to have managed to get Paris talking about her date with Jamie, and more so to hear that it had gone really well.

“Wow, he likes you,” she declared, smiling almost as wide as Paris herself.

“I left an impression.”

“You sure did.”

“I still don’t understand why he’d wanna date me,” said Paris then. “He’s surrounded by college girls all day long who must be prettier than I am, and more experienced than I am. I mean, I’m sure they’re all idiots, but usually that’s the last thing a guy thinks about when he’s looking for a date for the big game.”

“Well, Jamie must be special, and that’s great, Paris. It really is,” Rory enthused. “Isn’t it great, Jess?”

“If only Tony the Tiger were here,” he replied, rolling his eyes.

Rory laughed and swatted him in the chest for his sarcasm, but Paris didn’t even notice. She was on Cloud 9 over Jamie it seemed, and Rory wasn’t sorry to see it. As much as she could be a pain in the butt sometimes, Paris was a good person deep down and she deserved to be happy. She certainly deserved a nice guy to treat her well. Besides, it made Rory feel much less awkward herself, being as she was so close to Jess all the time. They were both conscious about making Paris feel like the third wheel. It would be easier now that she had Jamie, even if he couldn’t be around all the time.

“So, how long is he sticking around for?” asked Jess.

“Just for the weekend,” Paris sighed. “He has to be back at Princeton for a class on Monday, but he seems pretty set on spending as much of his spare time as possible with me,” she explained, blushing as she said it which was kind of a new look for her. “I feel pathetic allowing a guy to make me this happy, but he really does. I don’t think I’ll ever stop being amazed that he likes me this much.”

“There are a lot of crazy people in the world,” Jess teased her.

Rory almost expected Paris to stick her tongue out at him. With anybody else on any other day, she probably would’ve committed some kind of violent felony. Her ‘brother’ could get away with a lot, and especially today apparently.

“So I’m guessing that extra emergency meeting of The Franklin that I had to fight to get out of isn’t happening tomorrow anyway, huh?” said Rory.

“I think we’ll cope without it,” Paris replied, still smiling very wide. “It’s only a newspaper, right?” she said, looking at Jess.

“Huh,” he replied, reaching into his bag and producing a couple of sheets of paper. “So, I guess this was a waste of time?”

Paris took the papers from him and skimmed the text, eyes going wide when she realised what it was.

“You wrote the article... and it’s good.”

“You expected it to be anything else?” asked Jess, just a little affronted by that.

“Look at you, all helpful,” Rory said happily. “You’re like The Good Samaritan this week.”

“Keep your voice down,” Jess advised, looking around like he expected to be attacked. “I got a rep to protect.”

“Well, I don’t care if you’re the Fonz or Richie Cunningham, I really appreciate this Jess,” Paris told him, suddenly throwing her arms around him in a brief hug before turning and walking away.

“Wow!” Rory shook her head. “Being in love is having a profound effect on her.”

“Apparently,” her boyfriend agreed, shaking off the unexpected hug. “So, remind me again what ungodly hour this Dance Marathon begins tomorrow?”

“Six a.m.” Rory sighed heavily. “I didn’t even know they had a six in the morning.”

Jess smirked but said nothing. As much as he was bound to suffer from being part of a town event, at least the getting up early part came fairly easy. Luke was always up and about at stupid o’clock in the morning to open the diner, and even earlier when deliveries were due. It never did come hard to Jess to be awake so early, but he knew the Gilmore girls suffered terribly.

“It’s lucky you’ll be there to hold me up on the dancefloor.” Rory grinned then. “Did I mention how happy I am that you agreed to this?”

“More than a few times.” Jess nodded, trying not to be amused but failing miserably.

They both knew she had been way more grateful than ought to be strictly necessary for attendance at a simple dance marathon, but Jess wasn’t complaining. Besides, Lorelai had kind of been all over Luke ever since he agreed to go too. The guys just really liked to see the women they loved be happy.

“And honestly, a couple of hours will probably be more than enough dancing for me. I just like the atmosphere in the beginning when everybody is all hyped up to start,” Rory enthused. “After that, we can maybe watch a while and then just head home.”

“Works for me,” Jess agreed, leaning in to kiss her lips.

* * *

As it turned out, the Dance Marathon really wasn’t so bad. Rory had meant what she said about all the hype in the beginning when everybody was taking part, but a whole lot of couples got hungry or tired and gave up fast. Jess was amazed when he realised he and Rory had been keeping up with the pack for a good five hours before they decided to give in and watch for a while, and it was actually her that said she had enough, not him.

An hour or so of watching the other couples mostly make fools out of themselves and Rory was full on starving, her stomach making sounds that had her blushing like crazy. Since the only food on offer at the event was some disturbing kind of egg sandwiches courtesy of the Kims, Jess suggested they head home and get some real food.

The plan had been to hang out at the diner, but Rory insisted she would rather go home so she could change clothes. The dress, that she did in fact look great in, was starting to get uncomfortable apparently. Jess offered to pick up food from the diner and then follow her over to the house, arriving just in time with burgers, fries, and a whole pie.

“You’re so good to me,” she told him with a grin as he dumped all the food onto the kitchen table.

“I paid and everything,” he took her with a smirk. “Without Luke there it would’ve been pretty easy to liberate this stuff from under Caesar’s nose, but I couldn’t do it to the guy.”

“He doesn’t really deserve to be duped,” Rory considered. “Although his pies don’t usually measure up to Luke’s.”

“It’s fine, Luke made this before he came to the Dance Marathon.”

“It started at six,” said Rory, eyes ridiculously wide.

“Luke started at four, which means I was awake from three thirty,” Jess pointed out as they divided up the food onto plates and headed for the living room.

“Aaaw, poor baby,” Rory sympathised, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “And speaking of babies, that was some fight Sookie and Jackson were having,” she said as they sat down on the couch to eat.

“Was he really suggesting they have four kids in the next four years”

“I think so” Rory nodded, taking a big bite out of her burger.

“Crazy,” muttered Jess before doing the same.

Rory hated to see people she loved fight, but she had to agree with her boyfriend that it was a pretty crazy concept. Rory couldn’t imagine having one kid, and always marvelled at how her mom had coped on her own raising her. Sookie and Jackson had each other, a house, good jobs, all of the security, but four babies in four years would be truly insane.

“On the topic of crazy,” she said then, deciding a subject change was in order, “I can’t believe Luke is still at the Dance Marathon and really getting into the whole dancing thing. I didn’t even know he knew how to dance. I didn’t know YOU knew how to dance.”

“Must be in the Danes blood, I guess.” Jess shrugged. “I don’t think it’s so surprising that he’s still there. Your mom seems hell-bent on winning this year since Kirk started baiting her, and all Luke ever really wants is to make Lorelai happy.”

“It’s a beautiful thing, to love somebody that much,” said Rory, looking pointedly at Jess.

He glanced up and smiled back at her. They both knew he had sacrificed some pride by agreeing to go to the Dance Marathon with her today, and that she probably feigned tiredness when she did for his sake, so he didn’t have to endure the full event. It was no secret that they loved each other, they had said it enough times before, her more than him perhaps, but she never really doubted his feelings. Actions spoke louder than words, and he did so much to make her happy.

With the burgers and fries all done, Jess cleared the containers away and muttered something about fetching forks for the pie. Rory wasn’t sure she was feeling all that hungry anymore, at least not for dessert. She followed Jess to the kitchen, caught him when he turned around from the drawer and pulled him close, her lips on his own. The forks went clattering to the floor as he grabbed onto her, the two of them lost in what turned out to be a very intense moment. When Rory leaned her weight on him a little too much, Jess staggered into the table, and the spell was momentarily broken.

“Not that I’m complaining about this,” he said, gasping in a breath, “but we should probably slow down a little.”

“What if I was okay with not slowing down?” asked Rory, blushing uncontrollably but looking altogether sure of herself at the same time.

“Rory...”

“I’m serious, Jess,” she promised. “Very serious. I love you.”

“And I love you,” he swore, pushing her hair back off her face, “but I also know you’re feeling five shades of grateful because I went that Dance Marathon-”

Her lips cut off his words with another searing kiss.

“I am grateful, but that’s not what this is,” she said, shaking her head. “Jess, I want this. I’ve wanted it for a while, I think, I just... It’s kind of a big deal, y’know?”

“I know,” he promised, nodding his head. “That’s why you have to be sure.”

“I’m very, very sure,” she told him, punctuating each word with a kiss to his face. “Are you?”

“In my whole life, you’re probably the one thing I’ve always been sure about,” he told her, fingers tracing a line down her cheek before he kissed her softly.

Rory took a hold of his hand and headed for her bedroom, leading the way with a shy smile. The door closed on the rest of the world and then it was just the two of them, as it should be.


	14. Chapter 14

“Hey, kid? Is there something going on with you?” asked Lorelai.

She wasn’t exactly watching Rory like a bug under a microscope or anything, but something seemed odd with her today. It wasn’t a bad something, couldn’t be because all her baby girl seemed to have done so far was beam like the sun, except for the few minutes when they were talking about Luke’s dance marathon injury, of course.

“Like what?” asked Rory, looking anywhere but at her mother. “What would be going on?”

“Well, now I know something is, because you’re doing that Peter Falk thing with your eyes,” she said, making a gesture in front of Rory’s face. “What’s up with you?”

There was an idea in Lorelai’s head that she wasn’t quite ready to voice, lest she was wrong and only encouraged a certain behaviour in the future. She could be wrong, and yet...

“Um, I... Jess and I, that is... We, er... We might’ve stepped forward in our relationship,” she said, making a leaping forward sort of a gesture with her hands.

Lorelai’s eyes closed and she swallowed hard, fighting desperately to keep her composure. She had known this day would come, long before Rory ever mentioned it herself. The fact was, she never expected her daughter to be a nun or even a spinster her whole life. Of course she wanted her to experience love and all the things that came with it. Unfortunately, Lorelai wasn’t quite ready for this moment just yet. She wondered if any mother ever was.

“Mom?” Rory prompted, letting Lorelai know she must have been collecting her thoughts just a little too long.

“Yeah. I’m just... processing,” she said, her fingers moving next to her head in a way that suggested she was going crazy instead. “Um, so it happened. With Jess,” she said, trying desperately not to wince.

“It did. After the Dance Marathon, or actually, during it. You and Luke were still there, me and Jess were... here,” she ended lamely, not knowing what else to say. “You’re not mad, right?”

“No, sweets, I’m not. I’m not mad,” she promised, gathering Rory’s hands in her own and holding on tight. “Seriously, if you were feeling ready for this and you were prepared and everything, then that’s... It’s your choice, and you made it.”

“I did.” Rory nodded. “We were careful and everything,” she assured Lorelai with a smile. “I love him, Mom.”

“Oh, I know you do, sweets.” Lorelai smiled right back now that the aneurism-type feelings were starting to subside. “And I’m glad that it was like this for you, that you made a choice and that it was with someone you love and who loves and respects you. I believe that of Jess, I honestly do,” she confirmed. “I just... I promise I’m not mad,” she repeated. “It’s just a lot for a mother to take in is all.”

“I get it,” Rory agreed, even though she couldn’t entirely understand and they both knew it. “But you said you wanted to know and I was going to tell you later but then you asked so, now you know. I’m not sorry it happened.”

“That’s good,” said Lorelai. “Um, one more question before we let this drop, and I don’t want this to come out wrong so give me a minute,” she said, thinking hard. “See, I am a woman, and I’m still young enough to remember that first time. It isn’t a perfect moment for a woman, no matter what they show you in the movies,” she said, with a jarring unnatural laugh. “Um, I guess what I’m trying to ask is, was it okay? Are you okay? Was it...? Oh, God, help me out here, kid!” she urged Rory desperately.

“It was... a little weird at first. There was a part... there was uncomfortableness for a while, which I guess is normal when you’ve never... Um, but then it was just... good,” she said eventually, blushing profusely by this point and knowing her mother was doing the same even though they were barely looking at each other by now. “Jess was very nice to me, Mom. I swear.”

“Well, that’s good, babe,” said Lorelai, feeling the need to hug her daughter then. “Because if he wasn’t, I would tear off his kneecaps and feed him to the waste disposal,” she said over Rory’s shoulder.

After that, all either of them could do was laugh.

* * *

“You’re goofy today,” said Luke, staring too hard at Jess across the apartment.

“Says the guy who’s walking like Long John Silver,” his nephew shot back, watching with amusement as Luke moved towards him. “Tell me again how that happened?” he asked, smiling a little too much and he knew it.

It was easy to pass off his good mood as humour at what had happened to his uncle. Jess sure as hell was not going to tell good old Luke the real reason why he couldn’t stop grinning. Seemed like a good way to lose an appendage he was way too fond of.

“You know damn well how it happened,” said Luke, pulling open the fridge and almost toppling over since his left leg really wouldn’t take his weight yet - it really was a good thing they opened way less hours on a Sunday. “I swear, it doesn’t matter how much Lorelai pleads with me, I am never entering that Dance Marathon again!”

“You tell her, Swayze.” Jess smirked terribly into his book. “I can’t believe she convinced you to do the lift. That was only ever going to end one way.”

“Yeah, well.” Luke sighed, hobbling back to the couch and lowering himself down. “At least it was me that got hurt and not Lorelai.”

Jess didn’t have a smart alec reply to that one. He knew just exactly what his uncle meant. When it came right down to it, he would pretty much throw himself under a bus to save Rory from harm, if that was what it took. He wondered how much of his overt grinning was really because he got lucky last night. That sure didn’t hurt his mood, but knowing Rory was his girlfriend and that she loved him enough for them to even get that far, that’s what had him in the massively smiley place. She loved him and he loved her. Even after so many months it still felt like a strange and foreign concept to Jess, but he liked it, and he hoped it never went away like so many other good things in his life had.

* * *

“What is wrong with you?” asked Paris as she stared across the lunch table at a grinning Rory. “You haven’t stopped smiling all morning. It’s unnatural for a Monday.”

“Have you seen your own face today?” her friend countered. “Not exactly frowning.”

The formidable force that was Paris Gellar actually seemed to blush at that remark, something Rory had previously thought was impossible without some kind of drug being administered. Jamie made the difference. Paris in love was a whole different animal, and actually, it was pretty cool to see.

“I did have a pretty great time with Jamie this weekend,” she admitted. “I don’t know what it is about that guy. Somehow he is one of the smartest people I ever met, and he looks like he stepped out of the pages of a catalogue, plus he likes me. He actually thinks I’m cool and attractive and... and I don’t get it, but I actually love it.”

“You should love it,” Rory said definitely. “Paris, you are so lucky to have found a guy like Jamie, and if he likes you and you like him, then I say go for it. What do you have to lose?”

“My self-respect and all the free time that I should be dedicating to academic pursuits and the road to Harvard?” she guessed, smile wavering slightly. “Am I crazy?”

“Crazy in love maybe?” her friend guessed. “Trust me, Paris, you can have a boyfriend and get into Harvard. I’ve been doing all the same stuff you’ve been doing - homework, extracurriculars, The Franklin - and me and Jess are fine. Better than fine,” she added, smiling almost too much again.

Paris was starting to wonder if she knew just exactly what had Rory so giddy today, but lessons from her friend and her brother in the art of subtlety meant she didn’t just come out and ask in front of the whole cafeteria this time. Yanking Rory up from the table by her elbow, she rushed her out into the hall and practically threw her into the nearest girls bathroom. A cursory glance under the stall doors and all around proved the room was empty and then the question came.

“Did you have sex?”

Rory was taken aback though she knew she shouldn’t be. Paris had always been blunt, maybe just slightly less the last few months, but still. If she wanted to know something, she asked, and didn’t pull any punches. Maybe Rory just hadn’t been quite ready to discuss this with anyone that wasn’t Jess or her mother. Apparently, she didn’t get a choice.

“I guess I should be glad you actually took us somewhere private before you asked,” she muttered. “Yes, Paris. Jess and I had sex,” she said aloud, for the first time since it happened as it turned out. “Happy now?”

“Happy is pushing it,” Paris considered, apparently missing the sarcastic undertone. “I mean, if you’re happy then I suppose as your friend I’m happy for you. Same with Jess since I do look upon him as my brother still, in some strange way,” she considered. “You realise that I don’t require any details for that very reason?”

“Wasn’t going to share any,” Rory assured her quickly, making for the door.

Paris blocked the way.

“I’m not... I don’t have sisters, or even a mother to talk to about these things. Liz tried and I told her I was up on my birds and bees. I mentioned it to my Portuguese nanny once and she didn’t stop crossing herself for two days,” Paris explained quickly. “What I’m saying is... Was it okay? I’m guessing not exactly like the movies, because hell, what is? Am I right? I mean, they say there’s pain, that’s to be expected, different muscle groups are being exposed to-”

“Paris!” Rory cut her off quickly with a cutting motion of her hands as well as yelling her name - she really couldn’t listen to anymore. “If you must know, it was... It was good. It’s an amazing feeling that is really difficult to explain, and yes, at first, it kinda hurts a little, but you forget that pretty quickly, trust me.”

Paris nodded that she understood and then looked almost as awkward as Rory felt. They both stood there a moment, being awkward, and just when Rory was going to ask if she could get back to her lunch already, Paris broke the silence.

“It’s not like I’m planning on diving into bed with Jamie,” she said fast. “We’ve been on exactly two dates and hung out for a weekend. This does not a romance make,” she said, just in case Rory wasn’t aware, which of course she was. “I’m not Meg Ryan in some lame 90s movie. I have standards and more important things on my mind than sex.”

“Of course you do.” Rory nodded.

“Not that I’m judging you for your choice. I know how much you love Jess and he clearly worships you, which he should. Besides, every woman gets to make their own decision in these things and shouldn’t be looked down upon for it.”

“Agreed.”

“I just... I wanted to know, just in case, y’know?”

“I get it,” said Rory with a reassuring smile. “Now, do you think we could get out of the girls bathroom and back to the food? Maybe with a significant change in subject?” she tried.

“Yeah, sure,” Paris agreed, moving aside so they could exit the room. “Where is Jess anyway?”

“He had to stay behind after chem, finish something up with his lab partner,” Rory explained. “He’s being a little more studious this year. I guess... Um, it’s probably a good thing,” she said eventually, realising she almost screwed up.

Paris was still in the dark about Jess applying to colleges. How she hadn’t gotten that information out of him yet, Rory couldn’t say, but she had promised not to tell and she was determined to keep the vow. At some point, Paris would find out, but Rory was certain it would be from Jess and not from her.

“So, my Dad is away on business again, and quite honestly, the house was feeling a little big and empty anyway. It has ever since Liz and Jess moved out,” said Paris as they returned to their lunch. “I was thinking maybe you and Jess could come by this weekend, maybe stay over? We could study, watch movies, whatever you want.”

“Sounds great,” said Rory, smiling widely once again.

If anyone had asked her a year ago if she would happily be agreeing to spending a weekend at Paris’ house, the answer would’ve been ‘hell, no!’, but then she might’ve had a similar reaction if someone asked her if she thought she would be broken up with Dean by now. Things sure had changed in the life of Rory Gilmore lately, but all for the better as far as she could tell.


	15. Chapter 15

“Explain to me again why I agreed to this?” asked Jess as he pulled his car onto the drive outside of the Geller house.

“Because, why wouldn’t you agree?” said Rory, shrugging her shoulders. “What could be better than a weekend spent in the company of your girlfriend and your pseudo-sister, both of whom you love and adore?” she asked, smiling enough that he knew she was at least half-joking, and yet she also had a point. “C’mon, would you honestly rather be waiting tables and driving your forklift?”

“No,” he admitted, “but I can think of better ways to spend the time with you than studying and watching whatever movies Paris likes,” he said, fingers messing with her hair and then pulling her head closer.

“Better ways?” Rory echoed, like she didn’t know exactly what he meant.

If there had been any shred of doubt before, there certainly wasn’t when he was done kissing her.

“Mmm, better ways,” she said as they parted. “I’m not sure that’s going to happen while we’re staying in this house,” she considered. “Lucky I don’t want you just for your body,” she said smartly, planting a quick peck on Jess’ lips before hopping out of the car.

Jess rolled his eyes and followed her out onto the driveway and up to the front door. He meant to be pissed about this whole weekend, but it was tough to keep up the facade. Actually, hanging out here with Paris and Rory probably wouldn’t suck. He did have some homework he needed to finish, and he never really objected to junk food and movies as a rule. He was still adjusting to living in Stars Hollow with Luke rather than here in Hartford with Paris. Despite seeing her at Chilton, sometimes he actually missed her a little bit, though Jess would never, ever admit such a thing.

“You’re late,” Paris snapped as she opened the front door.

“Good to see you too, sis,” he shot back in full dead-pan mode. “Didn’t know we were on a schedule.”

“Life is on a schedule, Jess,” she told him quickly, ushering both him and Rory inside. “I have this weekend planned out exactly.”

“What happened to studying, movies, and whatever we want?” asked Rory, immediately wishing she hadn’t when she saw the look on her friends face.

“Do you realise how close we are to Graduation? One hundred and eighty days, people. That is all that stands between us and the end of our high school careers.”

“And that’s not a reason to celebrate?” Jess checked. “’Cause last I checked the lack of mandatory education past the age of eighteen is one of the things that makes America great.”

“Are you trying to make her head explode?” asked Rory, eyes wide with shock.

“Maybe,” Jess admitted.

Paris literally growled as she stormed off down the hall. Her friends followed only because they knew running wasn’t an option.

“Now wondering why I didn’t blow Paris off to go to Yale with my grandparents after all,” muttered Rory.

“Waiting tables and driving my forklift is looking pretty good right now,” Jess agreed, his arm around her shoulders as they followed Paris. “Stay close, I have a feeling it’s going to get worse.”

“You’re not afraid of Paris, are you?” asked Rory with amusement as she leaned in closer to her boyfriend.

“Aren’t you?” he countered.

Rory knew she couldn’t deny that sometimes she really was. Of course, the scary thing didn’t seem to be Paris flipping out about their graduation that was still a good sixth months away, as much as the whiteboard and the flipchart she had set up in the living room. Both were covered in colour co-ordinated scribbles so multiple, it practically looked like a mosaic. The words were practically illegible in places, made clear by the way Rory and Jess both tilted their heads to try to decipher them and got nowhere fast.

“Er, Paris?” asked Rory then. “I don’t... Um, why have you...?”

“I think the gist of what Rory is trying to say,” Jess cut in, “is ...what the hell, Paris?!”

“This is the plan,” his ‘sister’ told him easily.

“For today?” checked Rory.

“For my life,” Paris confirmed. “Obviously it’s not set in stone, hence the whiteboard. The flipchart is the plan for this weekend. We have a lot to cover.”

Rory’s eyes were wide like saucers as she slipped away from Jess and got closer to the flipchart to read exactly what it said, whilst Paris continued to make amendments to her whiteboard. She put Jess in mind of some mad scientist from a cartoon, only slightly less smart and a whole lot more psychotic. He had meant what he said before about still thinking of Paris as his sister. She was cool, and he guessed he loved her in some weird way, but this was beyond a joke.

“This is not happening,” he muttered, dumping his bag into the armchair and stalking over to Paris.

She didn’t even realise he was there until he picked the pen out of her hands, making an awkward line of blue through her carefully written text.

“Jess!” she snapped at him. “What the hell-?”

“Come with me,” he commanded, dragging her by the sleeve.

Paris was going a shade of red that Rory recognised and wished she didn’t. Still, she followed her and Jess out the door into the hallway and onward to a whole other room. Rory knew the place once she was there. In her head, she called it the Geller multiplex since it had a pretty big flat screen TV that had all the cable channels, a DVD player, and a stereo system with fancy speakers all hooked up to it. It was like entertainment central and she was in awe of it all, though Rory was curious right now as to why they were here. Probably just the next nearest room that Jess knew would be empty.

“Let go of me, you freak!” Paris yelled at Jess, trying to get by him and back out of the door but he purposefully stood against the exit and wouldn’t budge.

“Paris, breathe,” he told her sharply. “You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what again? Being repsoibsle for my future? Behaving like an adult when all those around me seem to think they can be Princess Barbie wannabes for the rest of their lives?”

“That better be a comment about Madeline and Louise and not me,” said Rory, momentarily offended by the suggestion.

“Obviously.” Paris rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest for good measure. “Now, let me out of this room, Mariano!”

“Nope,” he told her smartly, mocking her stance with his arms firmly folded as he leaned all his weight back against the door. “You remember last year? It was maybe two weeks before Liz got us kicked out.”

Paris opened her mouth as if she was ready to argue with him, tell him she had no idea what he was talking about and make a big deal of physically removing him from the door. Rory was ready for all of that, but it wasn’t what happened. Paris’ face went from puce and livid to washed out and hopeless in point five of a second. Whatever Jess wanted her to recall she was clearly remembering it now, and it knocked all of the fight out of her.

Rory watched in awe as Paris took a couple of shaky steps back and then sank down into a chair, her hands covering her face. If it were anybody else, Rory would suspect she was crying, but that just wasn’t Paris. Looking curiously at Jess, she eventually got an answer to her unasked question.

“Paris and me, we have a deal,” her boyfriend explained with a sigh. “She got herself into kind of a psychotic state over school and The Franklin and a whole bunch of other academia crap that isn’t half so important as she thinks it is,” he said, continuing without pause even when Paris hurrumphed in indignation. “Anyway, one night I walk by her room and I hear her talking to herself. No, not talking, yelling at herself. I seriously though she lost it this time, so I knock on the door and she doesn’t even notice. I let myself in and... Well, let’s just say it wasn’t a pretty sight.”

“I had a bad day” said Paris then, looking up with daggers in her eyes. “It happens to everybody. I only ever took them that one time.”

“Took them?” said Rory, feeling something tighten in her chest. “Paris what did you take?” she asked, hardly able to believe that Paris was dumb enough to try any kind of drug.

“You’ve seen the Saved By The Bell re-runs, right?” Jess rolled his eyes. “Apparently, Paris missed out on that part of her moral education. She kinda pulled a Jessie Spano and got so excited.”

“Caffeine pills?” Rory gasped.

“One time. Once!” Paris repeated. “It was not a big deal. Unfortunately, as with most food-related items, my body reacted badly to them.”

“Ain’t that the truth?” Jess agreed. “You barely knew what day of the week it was. It took four attempts before you knew who I was,” he reminded her. “Anyway, that’s not the point. What’s important is that me and Paris made a deal that night, and again in the morning since she didn’t exactly remember the night before after the fact,” he explained. “If I ever saw her going too far off the rails, it was my responsibility to pull her back from the edge.”

Rory wasn’t sure what to make of what she was hearing. It was kind of shocking to hear that Paris even went as far as caffeine pills, which were far away from being as dangerous as binging on alcohol or taking any serious kind of drugs. Knowing that Jess had promised to look out for her from that point forward was really quite sweet, though she was surprised neither of them had ever told her about it until now.

“I coped just fine before you came along, Mariano!” Paris snapped at him. “I can do it again!”

“Tell it to your face, Geller,” he told her, with much less malice than such words might’ve held if he meant for them to.

Only now did Paris seem to realise she had shed tears, albeit probably borne out of frustration rather than sadness. She never really showed actual emotions in front of anyone, Rory knew. She and Jess were probably the exceptions to a very stern rule that Paris had on this kind of thing.

“I’m not going to make it,” she said then, more sad and lost than anything else. “Harvard. It’s not going to happen.”

“It’ll happen,” Jess told her, moving to sit on the arm of her chair. “And hey, if it doesn’t, there are other schools, other options. Hell, you get real unlucky, maybe we’ll end up in the same one,” he said, nudging her shoulder with his elbow.

“What are you talking about?” she asked shakily, looking up at Jess. “What is he talking about?!” she demanded of Rory next when her ‘brother’ gave no answer.

“Um, college?” said Rory, clearing her throat and seeing the look of defeat from Jess that meant she may as well just say it. “Jess applied.”

Paris was wide-eyed with shock rather than crazy now as she looked between the two of them. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it, that much was clear. She had bugged the hell out of Jess about applying to schools that they all knew he was smart enough to get into, and he had said he’d never do it. Now she had discovered he did do it, and he kept it from her, at least until now.

“Harvard?” she checked.

“And Yale.” Jess nodded. “Plus Southern Connecticut State and the University of Bridgeport. Just don’t ask me to explain why, okay? I plead temporary insanity.”

There was a long moment when Paris said nothing, in which Jess refused to look at her, just in case she had a smug look on her face. Eventually, when he dared to glance her way again, he found she was smiling, but in a nice way, in a way that a sister should smile at her brother, he supposed.

“Thank you, Jess.”

“For what?”

“Just, thank you,” she said, getting up from her seat without further explanation. “Er, I’m going to go freshen up. You should pick out a movie or something. I’ll be back.”

When Paris was gone from the room, the door clicking shut behind her, Rory looked to Jess for some kind of explanation. He didn’t seem to have one.

“She really is cracked,” he said eventually.

“She’s not so bad.” Rory shrugged.

It was impossible for her to keep from smiling as she walked over to Jess and put her arms around his neck. Kissing him soundly, she gave no explanation for her behaviour or the huge grin on her face when they parted.

“Maybe you’re cracked too,” he considered, smirking some by now.

“Maybe,” she agreed. “But you’re much better at being a brother than you think.”

Jess shrugged “Maybe.”

“So, what was Paris’s side of the deal?” Rory asked curiously then. “You’re supposed to stop her going crazy about school stuff, what’s she supposed to do for you?”

Jess looked awkward, looking anywhere but at her for a while, before he finally confessed.

“She is supposed to stop me from ever screwing up with you,” he admitted.

Rory didn’t think anything could be sweeter than Jess ‘saving’ Paris, but that just might be it.

* * *

In the end, the weekend went much better than Jess ever imagined, and perhaps better than even Rory or Paris would have guessed. For all the studying Paris had planned, and all the lack of same that Jess intended, what they ended up with was something very much down the middle. They did school work, but they also hung out a lot, watching movies and eating enough junk that Paris had to take several sets of meds. She said it was worth it, and nobody argued with her. All in all, they just had fun.

Staying over for the night was kind of cool too. Rory hadn’t been prepared for Paris’ declaration that she would be wearing the good kind of noise cancelling headphones so her friend and brother could do whatever they wanted in his old room. Rory wasn’t sure she was entirely comfortable having sex with Jess when Paris was only just down the hall, but after a couple of experiments in deliberately trying to beat the effectiveness of the aforementioned headphones, and the fact that the bedrooms were quite a distance apart, she took very little coercing. Being with Jess again was something she had literally been dreaming about since the first time, and he sure didn’t disappoint her.

It was Sunday afternoon when they had to start thinking about heading home, and it was surprisingly hard to leave. Paris had certainly made them welcome, and she calmed down a lot after Jess’ intervention. Rory’s proudest moment was when Jess handed Paris his lighter and they both watched as she set light to the pages of the flipchart she had spent too long obsessing over. She really needed to be a little more level-headed about her education and career.

Rory couldn’t believe what an influence Jess seemed to have on her, but that was no bad thing. They balanced each other out in a weird way, like they were born to become siblings, even if that did seem illogical.

“I promised Mom I wouldn’t be too late home,” said Rory, checking she had all her stuff before she and Jess made a move. “She wants to finalise next week’s Thanksgiving schedule. Do you have plans, Paris?”

“It’s doubtful my dad will be home, so it’ll be just me, I guess,” she admitted, trying to look brave, but mostly appearing sad about the prospect.

“So come to the freak show that is Stars Hollow,” Jess suggested, hiking his bag higher on his shoulder. “C’mon, there’s so many people running around sharing food and festivities, nobody is going to notice one more in the mix. Besides, an extra brain might balance out some of the surreal.”

“You should definitely come, Paris,” Rory agreed, smiling widely at the idea.

Paris herself looked a little uncertain, and then with a dramatic sigh and over-done eye-roll, she relented.

“I guess I could, if you really want me to,” she said. “Of course, it’ll mean some shelter missing out on my expert ladling technique.”

“Geez, how will they ever get by?” Jess dead-panned, making a hasty exit when he realised he was probably about to get hit.

Paris waved from the front door as her friends finally left, looking markedly less crazy than when they had arrived the day before.

“Still think waiting tables and driving your forklift would have been more fun?” asked Rory as they got into the car to go.

“I think I’d have more money right now if I worked this weekend.” Jess shrugged.

Rory smiled. He didn’t say anymore because Jess would not lie to her. He had fun this weekend and he actually enjoyed hanging out with Paris, being able to be there for her, like family. Rory had a feeling Thanksgiving next week was going to be a lot of fun too. There was really no reason she could find for it not to be.


	16. Chapter 16

Nobody could have predicted how well the holiday season would go. It was true enough that Rory had expected the usual family festivities, amplified tenfold since there were more people to share in the joy. Still, there could have been issues, but everything seemed to run smoothly and a good time was had by all.

Paris in Stars Hollow was always entertaining, if not a little scary. She came to hang out with Rory and/or Jess at times, but that restricted Ms Geller to the Crap Shack or the diner apartment as a rule. Thanksgiving put her right in the middle of things, literally.

Lorelai and Rory had to do the rounds, go see the grandparents, plus the Kims, and also Sookie and Jackson. Luke and Jess had to run things at the diner in the morning, planning to close after lunch so they could have dinner with Paris and the Gilmore girls. With Paris having shown up earlier than expected, she was left just hanging out at the counter of Luke’s with only a book for company. Nobody had been ready for her to suddenly decide to help out. Jess got back from the bathroom and Luke from the kitchen almost at the same moment to find Paris wearing an apron, serving coffee to Babette and Maury with one hand, whilst berating Kirk for letting a cat get the best of him at the same time.

Of course, she had worked in the diner before, as she pointed out when the guys looked at her with mouths agape. When Uncle Louie died and his funeral arrangements were top priority, Paris had pitched in. Jess said she was the most unlikely natural, and way more of the diner patrons than expected complimented Paris on her style. She was becoming loved in the Hollow, and as much as she claimed not to care what the townsfolk of some crack-pot town thought of her, it was impossible for Rory and Lorelai not to notice how she smiled when she told the story.

Dinner was as good as expected and the company was the only thing that outranked Luke’s excellent food. It was enough fun that they started to make plans for Christmas to be extremely similar. In the end, Paris got a better offer. She and Jamie kept in contact via phone for the most part, and the next thing she knew she had been invited to spend the winter break in its entirety with his family. Rory was sure she had never seen her friend grin so much. She was thrilled for her, and gave any good advice she could about clothes to pack and topics to talk about. Jess said very little about it, only sending a warning via Paris to Jamie that if he screwed up he would pay. It was sweet of him to care, Paris knew, but she at least pretended to be offended that her brother thought she needed any kind of protection. She could handle herself, and she was not dumb enough to jump into bed with a guy like that, especially in his parents’ house!

Back in Stars Hollow, Luke and Jess went over to the Gilmore house to spend Christmas with their girlfriends, in a way only the Gilmore girls would think to celebrate. Cereal with red and green M&Ms, stockings on the bannister rail, and crappy holiday movies were the order of the day. They walked out in the snow that had come right on time for Christmas Eve, having snowball fights and chasing each other like kids in the winter wonderland.

Days later, it was New Year’s Eve, and it suddenly occurred to Rory that she and Jess ought to have something special planned. She mentioned it to her mom in a state of panic.

“Shouldn’t I have got him a gift or something? I mean, I know I already did for Christmas, but this is a big deal, right? A first anniversary? My first anniversary with Dean he started building me a car! What if Jess gets me a car?”

“Jess has more class than that.” Lorelai shrugged. “Hey, maybe he’s building you a plane!”

“Not helping,” Rory grumbled at the ill-timed joke. “Mom, seriously, help me!”

“Sweets, I get that your first anniversary is a big deal, and I absolutely think it’s a nice idea to get Jess a gift, but - and I know I’m setting feminism back a century here - he is the guy. He should be making arrangements and sweeping you off your feet. It’s how these things are supposed to work,” she insisted.

“But that’s so sexist.” Rory sighed. “I don’t want to just expect him to do everything. Jess has done so much for me lately. He did the Dance Marathon and he hated that.”

“Oh, he got his reward for that from what I hear,” said Lorelai, immediately shuddering when she realised what she had referred to.

“Mom, I didn’t... It wasn’t about that,” Rory insisted.

“I know, babe, I didn’t mean... Never mind. Subject change!” she insisted. “Um, I know Jess does nice things for you, but he loves you, Rory, he’s supposed to do that, just like you do nice things for him. That first edition you got him for Christmas was pretty cool.”

“I think so, but now I really want to do something for our anniversary. Something special. I can’t cook dinner.”

“Ain't that the truth!” 

“Exactly. I could buy a gift but I don’t know what I’d get and I’m kind of broke since Christmas. I guess there’s... um, well, I could order in food and maybe make a romantic kind of a night here, if you were going to be elsewhere.”

She looked so awkward it was almost cute. The adorableness was unfortunately overshadowed by Lorelai’s knowledge of what Rory was talking about. She was pretty much asking her mother to go out so she could have her boyfriend over for sex. Lorelai was doing her best to be okay with the daughter being sexually active, but it was not coming easy at all.

“Okay,” she said eventually, clearing her throat twice before she could manage more. “I mean, yeah, sure. I wouldn’t mind spending New Years with Luke. In fact, it’d be kind of cool,” she considered.

Rory smiled at that. She knew how her mom was struggling with her and Jess being together as they were now, but she really appreciated the effort Lorelai was making.

“I love you, Mom,” she said, reaching out to hug her. “You know you’re the best, right?”

“Sure, sure,” she agreed, hugging her back. “But you come a real close second,” she teased her.

Rory laughed, before running off to her room to call Lane. Apparently she needed romantic music options, and then she had to decide what food to order and what clothes to wear. Lorelai smiled and rolled her eyes at her daughter's excitement. As much as she would love to have her stay a little girl forever, that just wasn’t possible. Rory was growing up, she was eighteen and had a steady boyfriend that stayed over nights. She was pretty much a woman, and that made Lorelai feel just a little old. Then she thought of Luke, and the romantic night she could have herself with her man. Maybe she wasn’t so old.

* * *

Jess really hadn't been expecting the reception he got at the Crap Shack for New Years. Sure, he knew it was kind of an anniversary for him and Rory. It was why he showed up at her door with a gift in his pocket that he hoped to surprise her with. He was the one who got the shock when she appeared in a pretty special dress and her hair done in curls. The candlelit dinner wasn’t home-made, and Jess thanked God for it given the complete lack of kitchen skills in the Gilmore girls household, but Rory had ordered in the good stuff from Luigi's and that was not to be argued with.

It was a standard issue date for the most part, talking about everything, making out on the couch and all. Jess had pressed his luck in a distinctly bedroom direction after a while and was a little confused when Rory put on the brakes. After all, they did this before, and tonight sure seemed like the kind of occasion that could involve sex. It made even less sense when Rory kept on checking her watch and the clock on the wall simultaneously. Eventually, Jess had to call her on her weird behaviour and she made her confession.

Their anniversary was officially at midnight, when she and Jess had kissed and effectively sealed the deal on their romantic relationship. This year, she wanted to expand on the tradition apparently, and Jess hadn’t objected to waiting an hour to get what he craved. Making love at midnight was as good as it sounded.

For only the second time in their relationship, Jess and Rory got to fall asleep together and wake up just the same. Jess had checked that Lorelai was staying over with Luke before he got comfortable in Rory’s too small bed, and despite the lack of room, they both slept really well, at least until a buzzing from somewhere on the floor disturbed one of them.

Jess figured out pretty fast that he had left his cell switched on, presumably on vibrate from the noise is wasn’t making. He was reluctant to wake Rory who had her head on his chest and her arm across his body as she slept on, snoring softly. Still, if he didn’t move to see who was calling, they might try the house phone next, and that would definitely bring her round.

Manoeuvring carefully, Jess laid Rory’s head on the pillow, kissing her hair before he slipped out of bed. He pulled on his jeans, scrambling to grab his cell from his jacket pocket and took his shirt with him as he crept out of the room without making a sound. The kitchen floor was cold and he shivered, wishing he had put his feet into his shoes too, but too late now. Flipping open the phone he put it to his ear and walked through to the living room.

“Somebody better be dead.”

“And a Happy New Year to you too, brother.”

Jess smirked as much at her tone as the words she said.

“Happy New Year, Paris,” he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose as he dropped down into the couch. “Sorry. You woke me up.”

“Big night, huh?” she said. “I figured, given that you and Rory officially started dating at last year’s New Years party and everything. It’s why I didn’t call at midnight.”

“I appreciate that,” said Jess, knowing she could never understand how much, and he certainly wasn’t going to explain it to her. “So, how are things at Casa de Jamie?” he asked then, with an edge to his voice that Paris couldn’t miss.

“Things are good,” she assured him. “They’d be better if you could actually say Jamie’s name without the acid reflux.”

“What can I say? I don’t like guys messing with my sister.”

“Which would be adorable if I needed your protection,” said Paris with an eye-roll he could hear. “Besides, even if Jamie was the jerk you seem to think he is, what could he possibly get away with in a house full of his family? There are so many people here. It’s like an entire family reunion. I never knew one person who had so many relatives that they actually like.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Jess sympathised.

For all that they had very different starts in life, both he and Paris were no strangers to the lonely life. They grew up practically parent-less and without siblings or extended family to turn to. They were all but alone, until they were thrown together in the weirdest step-family situation ever known. It worked out though. Now they had each other, potentially for life. That seemed to be the unspoken plan they were working to, and neither was willing to complain about it so far.

“When do you get home?”

“Plane leaves tomorrow at four, so I’ll be back in good time for school.”

“Don’t remind me that we have to go back there so soon,” Jess groaned. “Rory’s been excited to get back into the whole Chilton Senior Year extravaganza for days now. I love her to death, but I really do not get how you two find anything thrilling about school.”

“For someone who doesn’t care about education, you do pretty well at it,” Paris reminded him. “And you can’t hate the idea of school so much. You applied to college.”

“I told you, I plead temporary insanity.”

They talked a little while longer about nothing of importance. Honestly, it was just cool to catch up. Jess hadn’t expected to miss Paris quite as much as he had these past couple of weeks. He figured she must’ve felt the same or she never would’ve called at eight in the morning on the first day of a new year when she was coming home in a day or so.

When they finally ended their call, Jess went back to Rory’s room and found her still sleeping yet. He stood watching her breathing in and out a moment, smiling at the sight of the pendant he gave her rising and falling on her chest, currently the only thing she was wearing. He thought about joining her, of waking her up in a way guaranteed to make him popular but then figured maybe he should put the coffee machine on first. A Gilmore girl first thing in the morning would always need coffee, regardless of what other pleasures you planned on giving her afterwards.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

“This was such a good idea,” said Rory, climbing back onto her bed and sitting down amongst the pillows and blankets. “We should’ve done it a lot sooner.”

“I’ve never been to a real slumber party before,” Paris admitted then, watching closely as Lane continued to paint her toe nails for her. “Madeline and Louise used to invite me but... I don’t know, it never felt like somewhere I’d really fit in.”

“Well, you fit in just fine with us,” insisted Rory. “Lane and me needed a really good catch up and I was hardly going to leave you out of the proceedings.”

“I have no problem with two people to boast to about my Dave,” said Lane with a grin as she finished off Paris’ toes and recapped the nail polish. “You’re done.”

“That is a ridiculous colour,” the other girl gasped and then smiled anyway, “but I love it.”

“Ooh, good choice,” said Rory, practically hanging off the bed to see. “I’ll bet Jamie would love it.”

“Yes, I’m not the only one with a new boyfriend!” Lane enthused. “Tell me all about the delicious Jamie.”

“There’s not all that much to tell,” said Paris, eyes down and fingers messing with a loose thread on her pyjama sleeve. “He’s just a guy.”

“Just a guy?” Rory gasped. “Jamie is not just a guy. Seriously, I could not be more in love with Jess, but Jamie is such a great person and insanely good looking.”

“I guess he is.” Paris blushed furiously. “And he likes me, so much. That’s the part I can’t wrap my head around. I keep trying to find a reason why a guy like him would be interested in a girl like me, and I can’t do it, but he does. He really just wants to spend time with me and talk to me and... It’s kind of scary and thrilling and I can actually feel myself turning into one of those ridiculous girls that daydreams about romantic walks on the beach and kisses by moonlight. What’s happening to me?”

“Sounds to me like you’re becoming a normal teenage girl,” said Lane, shrugging her shoulders. “You should embrace the fact that you’re even allowed to do that. If Mrs Kim found out I was actually dating Dave, I think her head would spin around and explode.”

“At least your mother cares what you’re doing.” Paris rolled her eyes. “I haven’t seen mine in months.”

Rory looked from one friend to the other and felt the evening sliding into melancholy. That was no good to her. She wanted this to be a fun night, a time for talking about makeup and girly movies and boys. It was so cliche and not usually her style really, but school had been intense this past week or two since they got back after New Year, and as she said, she really hadn’t spent enough time with Lane lately. The three of them should be allowed to get together, share secrets, and blow off steam for a while. Lorelai had agreed all too easily. In fact, Rory was amazed she wasn’t trying to get in on the fun herself. She might when she got back from picking up food from the diner.

“Come on!” she urged Lane and Paris both. “This is supposed to be a fun night. Let’s put on some music and talk about something else.”

“No, no, no!” Lane insisted, scrambling up from the floor to get in Rory’s way of the stereo. “Music is my department,” she reminded her friend, searching through a pile of CDs for the correct one.

“Y’know I’m really not supposed to drink this much soda,” said Paris, doing just that anyway, “but this is so good. What brand is this?”

“No brand.” Rory shook her head. “It’s the cheap stuff from Doose’s Market, but somehow it tastes even better than the real deal. Oh, I love this one!” she declared then, looking at a triumphant Lane.

“This is good,” Paris agreed, bopping to the beat a little. “What is it?”

“What is it?” asked Lane, eyes wider than wide. “This is Wasp Star! XTC!”

Paris was shocked by the way she had just gotten yelled at and understood nothing of what Lane had said anyway. Her only, uncontrollable, reaction was the most enormous burp, and all three girls bust up laughing like kids.

* * *

“It was, without doubt, the worst seminar on anything ever!” said Lorelai with all the indignation she could muster. “Honestly, Sookie and me knew more about running an inn before we attended than after.”

“You can’t possibly know less now than you did before,” Luke argued, pulling together all the food items on her list.

“Er, yes, I can,” his girlfriend insisted. “It was so incredibly boring that some of my brain cells died, which means I actually lost knowledge.”

Luke knew there was no use arguing with her anymore. Lorelai had her own special brand of logic, which could be equal parts amusing and frustrating dependent upon the situation. Right now he just chose to find her funny and concentrated on putting doughnuts and a pie into the already mostly full box for Rory’s slumber party.

“Of course, it wasn't a total bust. Sookie met up with an old friend. They really reconnected, it was cool.” Lorelai smiled then. “He had a friend with him too, Alex. Nice guy.”

“Uh-huh.” Luke nodded along, unsure if he wanted to say more yet.

“With Sookie and her buddy so deep into conversation that we didn’t stand a chance of following, me and Alex got chatting ourselves. They’re going to open a coffee shop, apparently.”

She started to wax lyrical about the wonder that was Alex and suddenly Luke was feeling all kinds of uncomfortable. There was a girlish giggle in Lorelai’s voice and a lightness in her eyes that made his heart ache. She liked the guy, this Alex person. He was probably good-looking and charming and everything women looked for in a guy. Luke wasn’t stupid, he knew how lucky he was to have Lorelai, how it made no sense that someone like her wanted to be with someone like him, grumpy and stuck in his ways and such.

“Luke?” she prompted when she realised he had zoned out.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“It’s not important,” she said, shaking her head. “It was just a funny story Alex told me, but I’ll tell you about it later. I should really get this stuff over to the girls.”

She moved to lift the box and realised it was way heavier than expected. Before Luke could offer to assist, Jess rushed over and cut in.

“I got it,” he said, scooping the box into his arms. “You’re parked out front, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll grab the door,” said Lorelai, moving to do so. “Thanks, Jess. You’re a doll.”

“Not a compliment I’d usually accept, but okay,” he admitted, going with her to the Jeep and loading the box inside. “I hope Paris brought her allergy meds.”

“I’ll check when I get home.” Lorelai promised. “Thanks again for the help.”

“You want a little more?” asked Jess with a look. “Luke’s really not happy hearing about your new friend Alex.”

Lorelai laughed loudly.

“Seriously?” she said, shaking her head. “Alex is not even a friend. I only met him today, and he was just this nice guy that I had a conversation with. Why would Luke be weird about that? Being jealous of Alex would be like Rory being jealous of a customer you served in the diner and dared to have a laugh with,” she insisted.

“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen.”

He didn’t say anymore, just gave a salute type wave and headed back inside. Luke looked up when Jess walked back in.

“They’re all going to end up overweight and diabetic,” he said of the girls who he had made up the food package for. “I really shouldn’t encourage that.”

“It’s not like they eat like that all the time.” Jess shrugged. “Well, Lane and Paris don’t anyway. Rory and Lorelai are pros, they can handle it,” he insisted.

“I hope you’re right,” his uncle agreed. “Y’know if they’re doing the whole slumber party thing, they’re probably talking about you?”

“Well, when Lorelai gets back she’ll probably join in and then they’ll be talking about you too,” said Jess with a look.

Luke seemed as if he really wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

* * *

When Lorelai walked back into the Crap Shack, all she could hear was the joyous laughter of her daughter and friends. It made her smile so wide. It was so cool to hear everybody happy, no drama occurring, nothing traumatic. Right now things really did seem to be on the up and up, and though that sometimes meant trouble was right around the corner, Lorelai chose to believe that maybe this time that wasn’t true.

Struggling as far as the kitchen table with the box of food supplies for the party, she dumped it down there and shook out her aching arms. She turned to tap on Rory’s bedroom door to encourage her to come out and take the box in herself, when suddenly she paused on hearing the topic of conversation being discussed within.

“Paris, Rory’s done telling me about sex with Jess now. You can uncover your ears!” Lane yelled, laughing still.

“Thank you,” Paris replied, presumably uncovering her ears as instructed. “God, I know Jess isn’t my brother by blood, but I do not need to be thinking of him and sex in the same moment. It's disgusting.”

“Not if you’re me.” Rory sighed happily.

“Oh, you make me so jealous!” said Lane desperately. “So far I’ve had three kisses from Dave. Three really good kisses,” she amended, “but moving forward seems like it’s going to take forever.”

“It’s okay if it takes a while,” Rory advised. “Honestly, I’d known Jess for more than a year and we’d been dating for ten months before we got that far,” she reminded them. “He was so patient and so sweet. He never pushed.”

“You’re lucky,” said Paris. “Not that I have any problems with Jamie. He’s a real gentleman, I can’t imagine him ever trying for anything I wasn’t ready for, but so many guys just want to dive right in and expect a woman to be ready before she is.”

“Nobody should be coerced into sex, male or female,” Rory insisted. “I’m glad I waited until I was ready. Mom always told me, if a guy pushes you into that kind of thing, he doesn’t really love you. That and always, always be safe,” she added. “Good advice on both fronts.”

“Agreed.” Paris nodded. “All my mom ever told me was that dad didn’t satisfy her.”

All three girls shuddered at that particular revelation.

“You two are so lucky,” said Lane then. “Mama would go crazy if she knew that I’d even heard of sex.”

“You know you can always talk to us, or my mom, if you need to,” Rory insisted.

There was a brief silence, and as Lorelai listened she found the need to wipe a tear away from her cheek. These girls were too much, her own daughter in particular. None of them were the type to sit here talk about sexcapades, drugs, anything a mother had to worry about, because those were not things they were into. Sure, Rory was sleeping with Jess, but she just told her best girlfriends that she only started doing so when she was sure and that she was always careful, things she was encouraging both Lane and Paris to do when the time came. She was a beacon of goodness, and always knew she could turn to her mom in a crisis. Lorelai could not be more proud.

“I think there’s a good chance that Jamie will be... y’know, the one,” said Paris then. “Not yet, but some day, probably.”

Lane said nothing, and Lorelai took pity on her. She would be lucky if she got to have sex before she was fifty, poor thing. That was tough to admit in front of even a minor amount of company. Lorelai tapped on the bedroom door and called into the girls to come grab some food already.

The pattering of bare feet was followed by Rory, Paris, and Lane all falling out onto the tile in their PJs to grab at fries and doughnuts. Lorelai watched them go nuts for a moment, and then subtly threw an arm around Rory’s shoulders, hugging her close and kissing the side of the head.

“You okay, Mom?” she asked, looking up at her.

“Yeah, kid,” she promised. “I just... I love you, a lot.”

“Love you too, Mom,” Rory assured her.

Thank God some things never changed.


	18. Chapter 18

“Did you hear what happened?”

Paris looked absolutely frantic as she came barrelling down the hallway, grabbing Rory by the wrist.

“Did I hear what happened with what?” she asked her friend. “Paris, you’re hurting me, and everybody is staring,” she added in a lower tone. “Let go!” she insisted, pulling her arm free.

Paris looked left and right, then actively shoved Rory towards the girls' bathroom.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“No, but Jess might have. He’s sat outside Headmaster Charleston’s office right now and the rumours are flying about suspension, even all-out expulsion!”

“What? Why?”

“Apparently there was an altercation between Jess and that idiot Bowman. Punches were thrown, a chair was broken. The rumour mill has them brawling like wild animals, Bowman making threats to bring Daddy’s gun to school, and Jess pulling a knife, though I would hope that’s Chinese whispers.”

“Let’s hope,” Rory agreed wholeheartedly. “This is just crazy. Jess hasn’t got into trouble for months, not since he first came here. Why would he do this?”

“How should I know? All I do know is that we have to do something before he gets himself thrown out of here. You and I are maybe the only people that have enough pull with Charleston right now, and certainly the only two here that would bother to go to Jess’ defence.”

Rory knew that much was true. She and Jess were the poor relations at Chilton, him most especially. At least Rory’s grandparents made the grade when it came to the Hartford elite. Jess had no such connections, and that might be what started the fight, though she doubted it. Being called poor and lowly wouldn’t bother Jess enough to risk his place at Chilton, not after all the trouble Luke had gone to in order to keep him here.

“I don’t understand. Things have been going so well lately.”

“Yeah, well, something got Jess all riled up,” Paris insisted. “Anything going on at the homestead that I don’t know about?”

“Nothing serious,” said Rory, thinking carefully about it. “Luke and Jess are both kinda mad at Taylor right now. He’s been working overtime on setting up his soda shoppe and making Luke’s life miserable, which doesn’t exactly put Jess in a good mood either. I don’t see how that would cause a fight here though.”

Paris couldn’t see how that would be the reason either, but something had certainly caused an issue. All she knew for sure was that life at Chilton would be somewhat less bearable without her brother around. She didn’t feel like sharing that fact with Rory, though she suspected she understood just exactly how she felt.

“Okay,” said Rory after a while. “Um, so what can we do?”

“We can go down to Charleston’s office, find out what we can by way of the facts on the case, and stand for the defence.”

“Paris, this is school, not a court of law,” Rory reminded her, knowing before she even finished the sentence that it was pointless.

“That's the problem, Rory. You see a difference,” her friend said sharply. “I don’t.”

* * *

“Michel, I will be there in thirty minutes,” said Lorelai, her free hand over her ear so she could better hear him on the other end of the phone. “I’m sure you won’t die of starvation in that time. Well, if you do, I promise the eulogy will be special and we’ll play Celine when they bring in the casket. Goodbye, Michel!” she yelled, closing the phone whilst he was still mid-ramble.

Half of it was in French anyway so it wasn’t as if she would have understood if she had listened.

“God, that man is a drama queen,” she muttered, stuffing her cell back into her purse as she shuffled a few steps further away from the construction zone. The work at Taylor’s new soda shoppe was beginning to seem like maybe it wasn’t worth it. As much as Lorelai loved the idea of so much ice-cream and candy right there next to the diner, she really hated all the noise and mess around here lately. She knew it was driving Luke nuts too, and that meant Lorelai was getting annoyed by proxy, same as Jess. It was going to be a long few months until the place was finally finished, that was for sure.

Not looking where she was going, Lorelai ploughed right into someone coming the other way. A face full of Miss Patty’s ample bosoms was not exactly where Lorelai intended to be and laughed at the thought of how many men might be jealous of her right now... and how many men had been in that position. Lorelai shook her head and tried to think of anything else.

“Hey, Patty,” she greeted her with a smile. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s fine,” she told her kindly, patting her arm. “You poor dear.”

“Okay,” said Lorelai, feeling confused and looking just the same. “Um, thanks for the sympathy, but my day isn’t so bad,” she clarified, “and yet you’re looking at me like a kicked puppy. Patty, what’s up?”

“It’s probably not what it looks like, honey,” she said, forcing a smile. “I mean, the man loves you, we all know that.”

“The man? As in Luke?” she checked, unable to think of anyone else that Patty could be talking about.

Looking in through the diner window, she expected to find him serving customers, or maybe yelling at them, since he liked to do that a lot too. Lorelai got a real surprise when she realised that actually Luke was talking and laughing, all in a fairly friendly way, with some pretty but stylish red-head she had never seen before.

“Huh.”

“Apparently her name is Nicole something. She’s Taylor’s lawyer,” Miss Patty told her, leaning in close and speaking out of the side of mouth like it was some huge secret she was divulging. “Personally, I’d like to bet she’s worked on both sides of the law at some time or other, if you know what I mean.”

“Patty, I’m sure she’s just a nice, decent woman who is being friendly,” said Lorelai, though something inside her was twisting into a knot just seeing her boyfriend being so relaxed and happy with a woman that wasn’t her. “They’re probably swapping ‘Taylor’s a pain in the ass’ stories,” she justified.

“Maybe that’s all it is,” Miss Patty considered. “But if I were you, sweetheart, I’d make sure Ally McBeal in there knows that a certain plot of fine Danes real estate is not for sale.”

She patted Lorelai on the arm as she walked away, but honestly, Lorelai barely noticed. Her eyes were fixed on Luke and this woman who seemed hell-bent on getting her claws into him. She was probably being ridiculous, Lorelai knew that, and yet she had the overwhelming urge to go in there and rip out some red hair.

Taking a deep breath, she painted on a bright smile and barged on into the diner.

“Hey, honey!” she called to Luke, immediately getting his attention.

“Hey,” he greeted her in kind, moving away from the lawyer woman just a little.

Lorelai didn’t even spare her a glance, leaning over the counter and grabbing a handful of Luke’s shirt so she could haul him close enough to kiss. What might usually be a brief peck was an epic lip-lock that went on almost too long for a public place. Lorelai didn’t care. She was smiling all the more when they parted.

“Hello, lover.”

“Hi,” said Luke breathlessly. “Um, I... This is... Um...”

He had completely lost his ability to think and to breathe as well. Lorelai marked that a win and only then looked at the other woman who chose to make her own introductions.

“I’m Nicole,” she said, holding out a hand to shake. “You must be Lorelai. I’ve heard a lot about you already.”

“Really?” said Lorelai, grinning as she sat down on the next stool over from Nicole. “All good, I hope.”

“There is only good to tell,” said Luke dutifully pouring his girlfriend a coffee. “Not that we were exclusively talking about you.”

“Oh, no. Actually, Luke was telling me about all the great places around here for hiking and fishing, all the outdoors pursuits. I love all of that stuff.”

“Me too!” Lorelai enthused, causing Luke to almost drop the cup in his hand.

“You?” he checked. “You like to hike and fish now?”

“Well, I don’t get much of an opportunity for the hiking quite honestly, but I’ve been trying to get Luke to teach me to fish forever.”

Luke’s eyes were so wide they almost rolled clean out of his head as he watched Lorelai wax lyrical on how she so wanted to learn fishing from him. Nicole looked surprised, which was not a shock since he just got done telling her how Lorelai was really not the outdoorsy type at all. This made no sense, unless Lorelai was just saying she liked those activities because Nicole did. Could it be that she had been bitten by the jealousy bug? Luke smiled at the very idea, he couldn’t do anything else.

* * *

“Oh my God!” Rory gasped at the sight of Jess.

He had a bloody lip, the start of a black eye, and his blazer and shirt were torn. She supposed there would be more bruises she couldn’t see on other parts of his body if the fight was even half as vicious as it was rumoured to be.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he told her. “How’d you get in here anyway?” he asked them, suddenly realising that should be impossible.

“Paris,” she said simply, finding a half a smile.

“That makes sense.” Jess nodded painfully. “I don’t think this little talk I gotta have with Charleston is going to go so well.”

“Jess, what happened?” Rory asked him desperately. “You haven’t gotten into trouble for so long.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it, Rory,” he told her, looking away. “Let’s just say Bowman had it coming.”

Rory didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t want to push if Jess didn’t want to talk. At the same time, she wanted and needed to understand why this happened. Bowman was an idiot but she couldn’t see him sucker punching Jess for no reason. Besides, the general consensus seemed to be that Jess took the first swing, though why seemed to be a mystery to most. There were all kinds of guesses, but no one definitive answer.

“Jess...” she began, but his hand around hers and the pleading look in his eyes when he met her gaze then brought silence immediately.

“I’m sorry,” he told her. “For whatever trouble this gets me into, I am sorry, but I don’t regret giving that asshole what he deserved.”

“Probably not the best attitude to get you out of this unscathed,” said Paris from the doorway. “You might have really screwed yourself this time, Mariano.”

“Thanks for the autopsy, Paris,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, you two should get out of here.”

“Not a chance, brother,” she told him firmly. “You go in there alone, you’re going to make things worse for yourself.”

“And who’s gonna make it better? You?” he asked. “Hate to tell you this, sis, but diplomacy? Not your strong suit.”

“We just wanna help, Jess,” said Rory, looking as close to tearful as he had seen her since a certain day in New York that was almost too painful to recall. “Paris thinks she knows a way to get you out of trouble, but you really should tell us what happened.”

Jess was a silent a moment, looking away and shaking his head. He was considering something, perhaps how much truth he wanted to tell.

“Bowman said some things I found offensive,” he settled on eventually. “I took a swing at him, he fought back. Apparently he’s tougher than he looks,” he said, rolling his shoulder painfully.

“And this something you found offensive was?” asked Paris, arms folded across her chest.

When Jess looked up and met her steely gaze with one of his own, she knew he wasn’t going to give it up.

“Fine!” she snapped, pushing forward to the Headmaster's door and rapping on it.

She didn’t even wait to be invited in, just barged her way into the room, already in full flow. Jess and Rory heard Charleston try to kick her out to no avail right before the door closed.

“She’s gonna make this worse,” said Jess sadly.

“Maybe,” Rory agreed. “Or maybe she really can fix it. Paris is pretty good at getting what she wants, one way or another. There’s actually a chance Headmaster Charleston will give in just to make her stop talking.”

Jess smirked at that, partly because it was funny, partly because it was also probably completely true.

Rory leaned in close enough to plant a gentle kiss on his cheek, mindful of both Jess’ bad eye and lip.

“I’d like to take a pop at Bowman myself for doing this to you,” she said crossly.

“Trust me, he looks worse,” said Jess with perhaps slightly too much pride. “Why’d you think he’s not here? The nurse won’t be done with him for a while.”

Rory didn’t mean to smile, but knowing her boyfriend came out the victor in a fight was kind of nice, even if the whole thing was technically barbaric and pathetic.

Before long, Paris’ voice could be heard beyond the office door, though they couldn’t make out her words, just her anger. Two minutes later, she came storming back out, face like thunder. However, the moment the door closed behind her, she was smiling.

“You’re all good, Mariano. Free and clear,” she said happily.

“What did you do?” he asked, frowning some, then stopping when he realised how much that expression hurt right now.

“I just simply reminded our Headmaster of your exemplary academic record in comparison to Bowman’s, the fact that he has a longer history of violence and misbehaviour than you do here, and that if he put all this on you, it could be viewed as victimisation of a student whose family can’t afford to buy new computers for the whole library, something Mr and Mrs Bowman did not so long ago. These facts could find their way into a front page Franklin article next month also, if the editor saw fit to print them.”

She was proud and triumphant, and she had every right to be as far as Jess was concerned.

“You’re one in a million, sis.”

Paris had the courtesy to blush at Jess’ remark, and was really not ready for the way Rory leapt up and hugged her tight.

“You’re amazing!” she declared. “So, Jess isn’t even in trouble?”

“I’m not that good.” Paris rolled her eyes. “You’ve got some detention ahead of you, and an essay on why disagreements should be solved verbally rather than physically, but a small price to pay, right?” she said to Jess.

“Not bad, Gellar,” he said, nodding his head. “I owe you one.”

“Family doesn’t keep score, right?”

Jess smiled at that. “I guess not.”


	19. Chapter 19

Luke hefted another heavy box out of the Gilmore girls’ garage and dumped it onto the driveway so Lorelai could take a look. They had been going through this process for almost an hour already, talking about normal everyday things without pause. There had been no mention of Nicole Leahy or any of the strange conversation that had taken place with her in the diner this afternoon. Luke wasn’t sure he could keep pretending everything was normal though. He had at least one question he needed to raise.

“So, earlier, at the diner,” he said, looking down at where Lorelai was frowning at various pieces of clothing she didn’t seem to recall ever owning anyway, “what you said about me teaching you to fish, you weren’t serious, were you?”

Lorelai looked up at him with a smile he didn’t entirely buy.

“Sure,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Why not? I mean, you like it, so there has to be some fun in there somewhere, right?”

“Well, I think so,” Luke considered, rubbing the back of his neck. “But you’re not really the outdoorsy type, and it’s not even like the clothes are cute or there’s anywhere to go shopping if you get bored...”

“Luke, do you not want to teach me to fish?” asked Lorelai then. “Do you just really not want us to share any interests? Because if that’s how you want it to be-”

“I just want you to be honest with me, Lorelai,” he told her, his hands at her shoulders stopping her when she tried to walk by him, turning her to face him. “Do you want to learn to fish because you really want to learn, so we have more in common, or are you just jealous of Nicole?”

He tried not to smile when he asked the question, after all, he would be kind of a jerk if he liked the idea of her jealousy too much. Still, it was kind of nice to know he could cause that emotion in her. It was proof, if proof were needed, of how much she cared about him and would hate to lose him. Luke couldn’t hate that.

“I am not jealous!” said Lorelai, playing at shocked but not pulling it off all that well.

The look on Luke’s face proved he wasn’t buying and she gave just a little.

“Okay, so maybe I was a teensy bit jealous,” she admitted, showing him how tiny the piece was with the inch of distance between her thumb and index finger. “We’re talking microscopic jealousy, my friend!”

“Microscopic?” he checked, pulling her into his arms.

“Practically invisible even under a microscope.” Lorelai nodded, right before he kissed her. “Not that it matters anyway,” she noted then, arms locked around his neck by now, “because you were totally jealous of Alex before, and that wasn’t even a thing.”

Luke’s eyes were wide as anything as Lorelai kissed his nose and then let go of him fast, running off into the garage.

“Who said I was jealous?” he called after her, giving chase.

“Jess,” Lorelai told him easily from amongst the boxes.

“I'll kill him.”

“Oh, Luke, no!”

Lorelai grabbed his arm when he looked ready to go on the war path. She really didn’t want to cause a problem. She had just been teasing, and trying to make herself feel better about her own jealousy, of course.

“He has no business talking to you about our relationship!”

“Jess was trying to help,” Lorelai insisted, making Luke look at her. “And I was never trying to make you jealous with Alex,” she promised. “Though I have to admit, it was kind of nice to know that you were.”

Luke sighed as they went easily back into each other’s arms.

“Gotta admit, it didn’t feel so bad when you were jealous either, but I wasn't getting my own back or anything.”

“I know that,” Lorelai assured him.

They were kissing again inside a minute, and that was how Rory and Jess found them. Neither of the teens were exactly thrilled by the sight as they came up the drive hand-in-hand to find his uncle lip-locked to her mom. There was stereo clearing of throats to get the adults attention, and some severe blushing (more so from Luke than from Lorelai) when the other couple finally broke for air.

“Hey, kids,” said Lorelai brightly before she noticed Jess’ face. “Geez, kid. What happened?”

Luke moved towards Jess and took his chin in his hand.

“Jess. Explain.”

“It’s a long story,” his nephew told him, pulling away some.

The look he gave his uncle proved he really did not want to talk about in front of company, not even his girlfriend and Luke’s own. Jess hoped rather than believed that his uncle would get the message and let it go for now.

“It’s fine,” said Rory, looking from Luke to Lorelai. “It looks bad, but everything got figured out,.”

“You’re not wrong about the ‘looks bad’ part,” said Lorelai, wincing as she looked at Jess’ eye and lip some more.

“I'll heal,” he assured her, wishing all the attention was diverted anywhere else. “It’s not the first black eye I’ve had. Probably won't be the last.”

Rory squeezed his hand on hearing that, hating knowing that her boyfriend had ever suffered like this before, or that he might go through it again someday. If the look on his face was anything to go by, Luke felt much the same, but he did allow Jess to explain very briefly what had happened and then let it go.

They all got stuck into clearing out the garage, as pre-arranged. Lane’s band were going to practice in there which meant a lot of old junk needed to be shifted, much of which would doubtless end up being thrown out since the Gilmore girls didn’t even know they owned it anymore.

It would be hours later, when Luke and Jess got home, that the subject of his beaten up face, and potentially body too, was discussed again.

“What?” asked Jess, looking up at his uncle.

Luke had his arms folded across his chest and that stern look on his face that Jess assumed only fathers were supposed to use, not that he had any experience of that.

“The truth now,” he said firmly. “In front of Rory and Lorelai, I let it slide a little, but now I want the whole truth of what happened with you today.”

Jess sighed, moved to run a hand over his face and promptly changed his mind when he recalled that would hurt. His fingers dragged through his hair and made it stick up at even weirder angles. He so didn’t want to have this conversation.

“I told you already,” he said eventually, looking anywhere but at Luke, “the guy was being an ass, so I hit him. He hit me back, it all got kind of out of hand, but it’s fine. Paris got Charleston to go easy on me. You’ll get a call, I’ll attend a couple of after school detentions and give them five hundred words on what a bad boy I was. Case closed.”

He got up when he was done and tried to make an escape, but Luke was wise to that manoeuvre. He got between Jess and the door, holding his ground.

“No, this case is not closed,” he said definitely. “I think you and me have got to know each other pretty well this past year, enough that I don’t believe you hit a guy twice your size just because he said something about your hair or your shoes or your taste in music. What did he say, Jess? What buttons did he push?”

Jess felt his hands clench into fists and fought to stay calm. He really did not want to be mad at Luke. His uncle had really been there for him lately. He took him in and paid his way through Chilton so he could stay here, be with Rory, be near Paris. He bought him a car, let him work the shifts in the diner that suited him so he could also work at Wal-Mart and maintain a social life. Luke was kind of saintly in so many ways. Jess figured he owed him the truth, but saying it out loud might just make him throw up.

“He didn’t say anything about me,” he admitted eventually, “not directly. It was about Rory and Paris.”

A light dawned in Luke’s eyes and his body visibly relaxed. He got it. Jess wasn’t sure whether he expected him to understand or not, but now he was seeing that maybe he really did.

“He insulted the people you love.”

“The asshole thought it was hilarious to suggest some pretty disgusting things were happening between me, my girlfriend, and the girl I look at like a sister. So yeah, after almost five minutes in which he was warned three times to shut his hole or else, I took a swing at him, and if you think that was wrong-”

“I don’t.”

“Huh.”

“Look, Jess, I can’t condone you getting into fights, and I don’t like that this happened,” he said, gesturing towards his nephew’s injured face, “but if someone was implying those kind of things about people I loved, about Lorelai or Liz... I’d probably react just exactly the same way,” he admitted.

Jess nodded, out of understanding and gratitude both. It was kind of a relief to know Luke got it and wasn’t going to bust his ass too badly for what happened. It was a surprise to see his uncle smiling when he dared glance his way again.

“So, you really handed him his ass, huh?”

“Pretty much.” Jess smirked. “He thought because he’s bigger than me he’d win. Big mistake. Huge.”

Luke laughed at that, he couldn’t help it. As much as Jess was at times a painful reminder of Liz or Jimmy, in moments like this, Luke saw only himself reflected back in his nephew’s eyes. That was kind of nice.

“So, explain to me again how Paris managed to save you from expulsion?” he asked curiously.

“She’s Paris.” Jess shrugged. “You need more explanation than that?”

Luke considered a moment and then shook his head.

“I guess not.”

* * *

When the guys came over to see the space they would soon have for band practice, Rory grabbed a hold of Lane and dragged her aside to tell her everything that happened in school that day with Jess and Bowman, plus how Paris saved the day. Neither of them even noticed Lorelai practically begging for their help to escape Zach’s advances. Lane had her own exciting news to impart about Prom, and that was taking all of Rory’s attention for sure.

“It’s progress that Mama has even said I can go to Prom,” said Lane definitely. “I mean, she’s picking my date, and that could end badly, but the plan is to make Dave look so good that it just wouldn’t occur to her to choose anyone else,” she explained. “She already likes him. I mean, what’s not to love?” she asked with a sigh, staring across at the boy in question.

Rory followed her gaze and smiled. Dave really was a stand up guy, and it was great to know that Lane might yet get to have him for her boyfriend. They were sort of dating now, in a way, but the band barely knew they were closer than friends, and Mrs Kim had no idea at all.

“I’m so happy for you, Lane.”

“Me too,” she said with a grin, “but hey, enough of my Prom plans, what about yours?” she checked. “I guess you can’t come to the Stars Hollow High Prom like we always talked about, so are you doing the fancy Chilton Prom instead?”

Rory opened her mouth to answer and then closed it again fast. She really hadn’t given Prom a whole lot of thought recently. Years ago, when she attended SHS, she and Lane had always wanted to go together, along with dates, of course. When she was dating Dean, Rory had thought he would be the guy to take her to Prom, but then Jess had come along and swept her off her feet. Now Rory was a Chilton girl with a Chilton boyfriend. She really wouldn’t fit in to the Stars Hollow High event, even if they would let her buy tickets purely because she had attended Freshman year. Chilton Prom was probably her only choice, but she wasn’t so sure Jess would be up for that. Until she talked to him, she had no idea. After the day he’d had, she probably wouldn’t bring it up anytime soon.


	20. Chapter 20

“Tell me again how this happened?” asked Jess as he stood on the Gilmore mansion doorstep for the second time in his life.

He had hoped once was enough, but apparently not. The great Emily Gilmore had decided that he was to come to Friday Night Dinner again, and what Rory’s grandmother commanded, so it came to pass. He just wasn’t quite clear on how or why he had been invited back, especially when Richard was away. He seemed to be the one of Rory’s grandparents that actually liked Jess, after all.

“I told you, we were talking about Summer plans,” Rory explained, “and then Prom and that led to who I was dating and so I confirmed it was still you, and grandma invited you.”

“That’s the uber-short version of what actually happened,” Lorelai noted. “but still true. Of course, once Emily decided you were coming there really was no way to refuse.”

“How come Luke got out of it?” asked Jess whilst Lorelai rang the bell.

“Pure force of will?” she told him. “Also, I told my mom he’d been sick and was possibly still contagious.”

She grinned with so much pride at her lie, Jess couldn’t help but laugh. He also wondered if Luke had any idea that he was supposed to have gone down with the bubonic plague or similar. Chances were good that Emily was hoping it would leave him in an unfit state to date her daughter anymore, that was for sure.

The maid appeared then and ushered the Gilmore girls plus Jess into the house before any more conversation could be had. Emily greeted the girls with joy and Jess with the barely veiled disdain he had expected, encouraging them to be seated and getting them all drinks.

“So, Jess, I was quite surprised to hear that you and our Rory are still together.”

“Grandma, why would you be surprised?” asked Rory, feeling mortified by the comment.

“Well, you know very well that young people these days hardly stay together five minutes before they’re flitting to the next boyfriend or girlfriend,” Emily explained, handing a soda each to Rory and Jess. “I swear, these celebrities don’t help at all, encouraging that kind of behaviour by example.”

“That’s not our Rory and Jess, no way,” said Lorelai. “They’re just about as committed as two teenagers could be,” she said with a wide smile, sipping her martini the moment it was handed to her.

Emily’s lip curled as she turned away to the drinks cart to retrieve her own glass. Rory mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her mother. Jess drank his soda down as if it were alcohol and might numb the pain. It was shame he was getting nothing better than sugar and bubbles out of the deal.

“As dedicated as the two of you are,” said Emily then, addressing the young couple as she took her seat, “I’m amazed at these plans for Rory to traipse through Europe next Summer with Lorelai. Won’t you just be lost without her, Jess?”

“I’ll miss her,” he admitted, “but if it’s what she wants to do, I’m cool with that.”

“Exactly.” Rory smiled. “I mean, Grandma, you and Grandpa don’t spend every minute together. He's away right now, and I’m sure you miss him, but you cope just fine until he gets back.”

“That’s for work, Rory. I could hardly expect your grandfather not to do his job just so I won’t be lonely, but this so-called vacation you have planned seemed so reckless and thoughtless.”

“Mom, seriously?” said Lorelai. “Did you actually invite Jess to dinner to try and get him on your side about mine and Rory’s back-packing trip this Summer?”

Emily looked affronted by the suggestion, but she wasn’t quite that good of an actress. Jess was pretty sure that Lorelai just hit the nail right on the head with her guess.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Lorelai!” her mother snapped in any case. “I’m merely pointing out the lengthy list of reasons why your so-called ‘dream trip’ is a ridiculous idea. If Jess should happen to agree with any of them, that would be his prerogative, I'm sure.”

All eyes then landed on the young man in question and he squirmed terribly at the attention. He all but emptied his glass of soda and prayed for a subject change, which Rory thankfully provided.

“So, I was thinking some more about college,” she said quickly. “I looked over those brochures you brought back from Yale, Grandma. The campus is beautiful.”

Jess tried to keep his sigh of relief down to a dull roar as the conversation spun on without him. If Emily came at him with questions about college, he was going to tell her he had to wait and see who accepted him and then decide. It was all he was going to say and that was that. He already had to deal with Luke, Paris, and various Chilton teachers on the topic, so he had the stock answer down pat by now. He was ready for this. It was almost disappointing when Emily never asked.

Dinner passed fairly uneventfully. Rory’s grandma got back onto the dangers of backpacking through Europe on two occasions and had to be reined in by her daughter, but she didn’t attempt to get Jess on side again. When they were just done with dessert, he thought she might try, but then the maid came and said Mr Gilmore was on the phone for her and Emily excused herself.

“Oh my God!” Lorelai gasped the moment her mother was gone.

“I’ll second that,” said Jess, visibly deflating in his chair. “Geez, I can’t believe I got fast-shuffled into coming here just so your grandma could try to use me in stopping you going to Europe,” he said to Rory. “I’d rather face off with Paris about college again!”

“If I had any idea this is what she had planned, I never would’ve asked you to come,” his girlfriend promised.

“I swear, kid, I would’ve said something myself if I’d known,” Lorelai assured him just the same. “This is beyond even the usual Emily evil plans. However, I have to say, impressed with the answers you were giving.”

“I didn’t lie.” Jess shrugged. “Why would I even ask Rory to not go to Europe when I know how much you guys have been looking forward to this? I'm not a total jerk.”

“This is why I love you,” Rory declared, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Best boyfriend ever,”

“Uh, second best” said Lorelai pointedly. “My boyfriend is the best boyfriend,” she said definitely with a hand on her chest.

Rory met her gaze and frowned.

“Share the honour?” she suggested.

Lorelai considered a moment and then nodded once.

“Deal,” she said then, extending a hand to shake with Rory.

Jess tried not to smirk but found it impossible. They were a real pair of nuts, but he loved Rory more than anything, and Lorelai was pretty damn cool for a mom. He’d be jealous of Rory for having a mother like her if that wouldn’t be pathetic.

“You are doing really well tonight, Jess,” said Lorelai then. “Seriously. I am impressed.”

“Probably helps that the black eye cleared up between the invitation and now,” he noted, leaning across the table and speaking in a low voice, just sure that Emily would come back any second.

“Amen to that.” Lorelai nodded. “Geez, can you imagine that conversation?”

“Really rather not,” said Rory, shuddering at the thought. “God, Grandma would have had a field day with that. I guess it’s pretty amazing that she never got to hear about the fight. She has friends at Chilton, you know?”

“The great Bitty Charleston.” Lorelai rolled her eyes. “I guess Paris scared Hanlin so bad he was too afraid to even tell his wife about the whole thing,” she said, laughing then. “Damn that girl is a nut sometimes, but God bless her, she gets the job done.”

“That she does,” Jess agreed, smiling into his water glass.

The next moment, Emily returned and asked what they were talking about. Lorelai took lead in the lying that followed, or at least half-lying. She said they had been talking about Paris and The Franklin which allowed Rory to tell a few generic school stories until it was time to leave. The only slightly weird thing was when Emily gave Rory a name and number she had apparently promised her. Something about a dress that Jess didn’t really hear and wasn’t sure he cared about anyway. Honestly, he was just trying to make his escape and felt like a man who just got out after a long prison sentence when he finally stepped out of the front door.

“How do you do that every week and not go crazy?”

“Well, it helps if you’re just a little crazy to begin with,” Lorelai noted, slapping him on the back, “but you did good, slugger. Trust me, Luke looked the exact same shade of green after his one and only dinner here, and he had my dad to act as buffer. You just went one on one with Emily sans safety net. That takes cojones, my friend.”

Jess made a face at that, glad enough of the compliment, but clearly a little squicked by his girlfriend’s mother talking to him about the size of his balls, even figuratively.

“Time to go home,” said Rory, steering them both towards the car before this night got any weirder.

Lorelai drove them back to Stars Hollow and dropped Jess off at the diner before continuing on home with only her daughter for company.

“So, you still didn’t mention Prom to Jess, huh?”

Rory looked over at her mom sharply, mouth moving without any sound coming out for a few moments.

“It hasn’t come up,” she said then, gaze returning to the window.

Lorelai pulled onto the drive and put the Jeep in park.

“Sweets, seriously,” she said, getting Rory’s attention back. “What’s the problem?”

“No problem, I just... I don’t know,” she admitted, shaking her head sadly. “I really, really wanted to go to the Stars Hollow High Prom with Lane, and that can’t happen now. It’s the Chilton Prom or nothing, and you just know it’s going to be really formal, and the tickets will be super expensive. I don’t want to ask Jess to take me, and I’m pretty sure he would never ask me. Between the dressing up and all the money he’d have to spend, it’d be his worst nightmare.”

“But honey, if you really want to go, he’ll make the sacrifice. The guy just sat through dinner with my mother and didn’t complain at all. That makes him practically saintly.”

“Exactly! He’s been so good about that kind of stuff. About Friday Night dinner, and the Dance Marathon, and waiting for me with the whole... the whole sleeping together thing,” she muttered awkwardly. “He’s been the best boyfriend, Mom. It feels wrong to expect more.”

“Sweetheart, this is what love is,” Lorelai told her. “Decent, loving relationships, they’re about doing stuff that you maybe don’t like so much to make the other person happy. You think Luke enjoys watching chick flicks with me, or that I love when he puts on a Jethro Tull album for background dinner music? Of course not, but we don’t complain. We put up with that stuff because we love each other. And it’s not like you never did anything nice for Jess.”

“True” she agreed. “I have watched Almost Famous about a hundred and seven times because of his addiction, and denied myself Indian food on a few occasions because he hates it.”

“See, sacrifices.” Lorelai nodded. “You got him that great first edition for Christmas and you went all out for your anniversary on New Year's. It's all about give and take, babe. It’s what people do when they love each other. So, if you really want to go to Prom, why don’t you drop some hints and see what happens? Or, if you want to go real modern woman on him, you could actually ask Jess to go instead.”

“Maybe,” Rory considered. “I thought about asking Paris what she thought about it, being practically Jess’ sister and everything, but then I remember that she probably won’t be going to Prom herself. I highly doubt Jamie is going to want to go to a Prep School Prom. I don’t even know if he’d be able to get away from Princeton if he wanted to.”

“Sacrifices for love, sweets,” Lorelai reminded her. “If he cares as much as he should, he just might.”

She got out of the car then and after a moment or two, Rory followed. Maybe her mom was right. If she really wanted to go to Prom, it was going to have to be the Chilton event, and she certainly wouldn’t go with anyone but Jess. She had some serious thinking to do about this.


	21. Chapter 21

“I’m definitely going. Prom is a rite of passage, and whilst I’m sure I could live without seeing Madeline and Louise vying for a plastic crown or idiots falling down after drinking too much spiked punch, I think I’d regret it if I didn’t attend. I plan on living my life without regrets, thank you very much.”

Paris gave her speech very succinctly. Rory was almost jealous. She would love to be that certain about Prom, or about anything right now. School was easy enough for the most part, show up, do the work, pass the classes. It was what came after that bothered Rory. To a certain degree, it was even the end of the school year that was tying her in knots. Partly graduation, mostly Prom for now.

“What’s the problem? Is Jess refusing to go? Because I can talk to him-”

“No, it’s fine,” Rory insisted, when Paris started to go off on one gain. “He didn’t say he wouldn’t go, we just haven’t talked about it yet, that’s all. I keep on meaning to, but you know Jess. He’s not really social guy or party guy. He’s certainly not tux guy, even though I’m certain he’d look great in one.”

“Speaking from a purely sisterly perspective, I don’t think he’d look bad if he was dressed up. Might take a miracle to get him into an outfit like that, but if anyone can, you can. C’mon, Gilmore.” Paris rolled her eyes when he friend looked uncertain. “Jess adores you, you know this.”

“Maybe,” she agreed, blushing at the suggestion, “but I know I could never enjoy Prom if I knew he was standing there hating it the whole entire time.”

“I guess I can understand that,” Paris considered. “At least you’ll have a date,” she said, sighing into her text book.

“Jamie can’t come?”

“Can you imagine a Princeton Freshman attending the Chilton Senior Prom voluntarily? I know he cares about me, but... Well, I guess you and I are in the same boat on this one. We could use blackmail or our womanly charms to get the result that we really want, but would be want to do that to the men in our lives? Would it be worth it? Honestly, if I didn’t think the rumour mill would have a field day, I’d say we should go together,” she told Rory, slamming her text book shut very suddenly.

She muttered something about needing a different volume as she got up and disappeared into the stacks, leaving Rory alone at the library table in deep thought. This was ridiculous. Jess did love her, and he probably wouldn’t mind too much about going to Prom. She was never going to know until she asked, Rory was sure on that. Of course, the guy was supposed to ask the girl when it came to things like school dances, but this was 2003, and Rory thought of herself as a modern woman. Maybe she could ask Jess. Maybe she could come up with a way to really sell it to him in such a way that not only could he never refuse but that he actually wouldn’t want to. She could afford to buy the tickets, she could even rent Jess a tux so at least the money thing wouldn’t be an issue. It wouldn’t be too bad since Grandma was offering to put in plenty for any dress Rory bought or had made by her friend of a friend.

There was always hope. Most people would probably think that Lane would never be allowed to attend her high school Prom, but Mrs Kim had said she could. Okay, so right now the potential date for her was a Korean guy named Young Chou, but there was still a possibility of replacing him with Dave if his and Lane’s plan came off. If they could get their perfect Prom date, Rory was darn sure that she could too.

Turning the page in her notebook, Rory started scribbling quickly, not on the homework assignment she was supposed to be working on, but on ideas for the perfect Prom date and the perfect way to pitch the idea of it to Jess.

* * *

Paris and Jamie had been emailing on a semi-regular basis since the day he showed up at Chilton and declared he could not stop thinking about her. They talked on the phone too, but that was tougher. Finding a time when they were both free and in his case without company within the dorm didn’t always come so easy. Thankfully, tonight was one of the nights when the planets aligned. Paris sat lotus style on the bed, not even noticing that her legs had gone completely to sleep. She was so into her conversation with Jamie, and had been for more than an hour now. They never seemed to run out of things to say to each other, which was crazy and yet wonderful at the same time.

“Rory and Jess are as ridiculously sweet as ever, but I can’t really hate them for it. It is nice to see them happy, I guess,” she told him. “Although Rory is kind of freaking out over Prom.”

She mentioned it on purpose. Paris really didn’t want to be one of those girls, the kind that was all passive-aggressive about things, bringing up topics just to pretend that she didn’t care about them, in the hopes that the guy would make a big deal. She was straight-talking and plain in all things, at least she tried to be. Still, when it came to Prom, she was going to play it this way. Just float the idea out there and see what Jamie said. No harm in that, she supposed. It was only a few days since her talk with Rory about the self-same topic, so it wasn’t as if bringing it up was so strange.

“Why would she be freaking out?” asked Jamie curiously. “I’ve seen Rory, she has nothing to worry about with looking great in a dress, and she has Jess to escort her. From what you’ve said her mom isn’t the kind to stop her going to a dance, so what’s the problem?”

“Rory is Rory’s problem, as usual,” Paris explained. “She has it in her in head that Jess won’t want to take her, which is the single stupidest thing I ever heard her say, and believe me, it's had some stiff comptetion over the years! The boy is so head over heels for her, he’d crawl across burning coals and broken glass if she asked him to.”

“Thanks for the imagery,” said Jamie, laughing in her ear. “But I know what you mean. When you care that much for somebody, there’s nothing you wouldn’t do to make them happy. I get that.”

Paris felt her breath hitch in her throat. There was no way he was talking about her, about their fledgling relationship, but it felt like maybe that was exactly what he meant.

“I’m going to go either way,” she said then. “To Prom, I mean. I can’t miss it, it would just feel wrong.”

“I agree,” Jamie told her. “I would have regretted missing my Senior Prom. I’m assuming yours will be a Friday night?”

“Friday May 9th,” Paris confirmed. “Still several weeks away, I know, but plans have to be made, y’know?”

“I do know,” said Jamie, with a smile she could just about hear. “So, assuming I can make it, and believe me, I’ll be making all possible efforts, you want me to pick you up or meet you there?”

“I, er...” Paris faltered terribly, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. “Well, it’d hardly be an acceptable Prom date if we didn’t arrive in style. We could meet at my house and the car could pick us up from here, I guess.”

“Sounds great, Paris. I’m already looking forward to it.”

“Me too.”

Paris couldn’t have said more than that even if she wanted to. She really hadn’t expected Jamie to be so amenable to attending her Senior Prom, but she was elated to know that he was. She had a Prom date. Paris Gellar sure hadn’t seen that one coming, but she liked it a whole lot.

It occurred to her somewhere between then and her talk with Jamie ending that she should really call Rory and give her the good news, as well as ask her advice on everything from a dress to makeup and hair. She reconsidered mid-dial, shaking her head and laying the phone down on her nightstand again. She really couldn’t approach Rory for advice until she knew for sure if her friend was even attending the event. Jess was almost definitely going to agree to take her, but until Rory had a definite answer, Paris would leave them be.

* * *

Jess frowned when he got a text from Rory asking him to meet her at Miss Patty’s. Of all the gin joints in all the crack-pot town of Stars Hollow, that was maybe the last place he expected to be summoned to for a date. They would usually meet at the diner or at her house, maybe someplace in between like Weston’s or the book store, but never the dance studio.

It made him wonder if something was going on. The last time something similar happened, it turned out to be the surprise party for his eighteenth birthday, but Jess couldn’t imagine anything like that was going on tonight. It was the first week in March, no special occasions to be aware of as far as he knew. Christmas, New Year’s which included his and Rory’s anniversary, all of that had passed by and he couldn’t think what would be so significant about today. Jess supposed he would find out when he got where he was going.

A deep breath before he opened the sliding door seemed like a good idea, and yet Jess still wasn’t quite ready for the sights and sounds that met his eyes and ears a second later. The music he recognised immediately. Joey Ramone was singing about his 21st Century Girl, though Jess wasn’t sure yet how significant that was. Swathes of material got in his way as he tried to walk forward, a glitter ball casting a million flecks of light over him and everything around him.

“Rory?” he called into the seemingly empty room.

He got no reply and so turned around to try and find her. Instead, Jess came face to face with a series of pictures pasted on a board. One was of a tuxedo, the next of a dress, and the last of a pair of tickets that each stated ‘admit one’. Every picture had a large check mark next to it, as if they were marked off a list as completed. Now it seemed clear that this all had something to do with Prom, and yet Jess was a little fuzzy on why Rory had done all this right now.

“Hey,” she said behind him, and Jess turned around to find her stood in the centre of the room, in the dress she had worn to the New Year’s Party at the Geller house, the night they decided to be together.

“Hi,” he said, staring at her. “What is this?” he asked, gesturing vaguely to the whole set-up.

“This is me being....” she said, gesturing to the stereo as Joey once again repeated the hook to his song ‘21st Century Girl’. “I, er, I was thinking about Prom, and about how you might not really want to go and the reasons why,” she said, fingers lacing and unlacing in front of her in a nervous gesture that Jess knew so well. “I thought I could just wait and see if you asked, and then I thought, hey, this isn’t the olden days where a woman has to wait around for the guy to do everything. And I know that these things are expensive, so I thought if I asked you, I could pay too, and it’d be this whole cool role reversal thing, except not exactly because I still plan on wearing the dress,” she said, laughing nervously. “So, anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is, Jess, will you be my Prom date?” she asked him at last.

Rory had been so busy rambling and trying to get all the details out before asking her question, she hadn’t noticed that Jess didn’t look particularly happy. Perhaps if she had been paying attention, she would have seen the signs. He was standing too straight, he certainly wasn’t smiling, in fact, his fists were clenching and his lip was twitching. By the time she noticed, it was too late.

“Wow,” he said, over the fading chords of Joey Ramone. “I’m getting visions of Gaia with the sickle right now, and she’s not needing anybody’s help.”

Rory’s eyes went wide at the reference. She looked left and right, almost as if she were searching for help, but none was coming. She realised all in a rush what was wrong. Jess wasn’t taking this in the way she intended, as a nice gesture, a help, a special gift of a kind. He felt like she was emasculating him, making him less than a man. That was never her intention.

“Jess, I didn’t mean-”

“Oh, you didn’t?” he cut in before she could even start. “You thought, what? That I can’t be trusted to make plans? That I can’t afford to take you to Prom? That you have to pick me out an outfit and dress me up like a frickin’ Ken doll because I can’t be relied on to look decent for a dance? What the hell, Rory?!” he yelled, tearing the pictures off the board behind him in his frustration.

“I didn’t...” she began, shaking her head, tears welling up in her eyes, but Jess wasn’t listening.

“I’m out of here,” he said, leaving quickly, not even glancing back when Rory called to him.

The door slid shut and slammed into place behind him, and Rory cried.


	22. Chapter 22

When Rory came home crying, telling her mom how everything had gone wrong, Lorelai was ready to rip Jess a new one for upsetting her baby girl. Unfortunately, as the truth unravelled and all the details came out, it was kind of tough to be mad at the guy anymore. Lorelai could see both sides, and it wasn’t long before Rory saw it too.

“I can’t believe I messed up like that,” she said sadly, tears now all dried up but deep sadness remaining as she realised her mistake. “It was supposed to be a nice thing. I was trying to be a good girlfriend.”

“And when Jess calms down, he’ll probably realise that,” said Lorelai kindly, her hand on Rory’s shoulder, “but babe, you know as well as I do, the male ego is so, so fragile. Doesn’t take much for a man to feel like he’s not so much a man anymore, and they really hate that.”

“I know.” Rory sighed, putting her face in her hands a moment. “I just wish I’d thought it through before, that I’d worded it all a little better. It wasn’t supposed to sound like Jess needed me to... well, that he wasn’t good enough. I would never say that. I don’t think that.”

“I know, sweets,” Lorelai sympathised, pulling her daughter into a hug and rubbing her back. “Sometimes these things just happen. Y’know me and Luke fight too, but we always figure it out in the end. You regroup, you talk it over. It’ll be fine.”

Rory didn’t answer that even though she hoped that what her mother said was true. It bothered her that patching things up with Jess wouldn’t be so easy. She loved him and he loved her, that part was always true, but he looked so angry and so hurt that night. When he seemed unwilling to take her calls all over the weekend and avoided her wherever she went looking for him too, Rory really started to worry that she had broken things beyond repair. Even Luke looked like he felt sorry for her when she went into the diner for the eighth or ninth time to ask if Jess was around and he had to say no.

Monday came and Rory was actually glad. At school at least Jess couldn’t avoid her. He had to be there and so did she. Even if he wanted to play avoidance tactics, that would only work for so long. They had classes together and the same lunch period. Besides, he couldn’t avoid her and Paris.

It had occurred to Rory to try calling the Geller house when she couldn’t find Jess anywhere else. She even thought of maybe driving over there to see if it was where he was hiding out, but in the end she decided against. There was a chance that Paris would side with Jess and then Rory didn’t stand a chance of fixing things. The Geller-Mariano tag team was a lethal combination in a debate or argument. Rory didn’t have the strength for that over the weekend, and wasn’t sure how she would handle it if it came to pass on Monday either, but maybe she wouldn’t have a choice.

Catching the bus by herself felt strange, but it had to be done. Rory had been heading into school with Jess for months now, first by bus and then later in his car. Today she arrived at Chilton all alone and immediately headed for her locker. She found Paris there, digging into her own locker, and surprisingly smiling when she saw her friend's approach.

“Hey, Gilmore,” she greeted her. “How was your weekend? Because mine was pretty damn good.”

“Hey, Paris,” she replied in kind. “Um, have you not talked to Jess?”

“Not since we left here Friday,” said Paris, shaking her head. “Why? Is something wrong?”

She had started to look concerned by now, eyes darting around the hallway when she realised Jess wasn’t there by Rory’s side. The two of them were practically joined at the hip since they started dating. It was concerning to Paris that he wasn’t there and that Rory was looking like she was about to cry or worse.

“We kinda had a fight, about Prom,” Rory explained, trying to keep the shake out of her voice. “Um, it was my fault, I... I need to talk to him, apologise, fix everything, but I haven’t seen him all weekend. He’s been avoiding me, I kind of thought he would’ve been at your place.”

“Like I said, haven’t seen him,” Paris confirmed, “but when I do I’ll be asking the punk what the hell he thinks he’s doing. You said this fight was about Prom and it was your fault? I find that hard to believe, unless you told him you wanted to go with someone else.”

“Of course not!” cried Rory indignantly. “Why would I ever want to do that?”

“You wouldn’t, that was kind of my point.” Paris rolled her eyes.

The bell ringing overhead put paid to their conversation and neither girl was at all happy about that.

“Look, go to class. Try not to blub like a baby, and when I find Mariano I’ll talk to him.”

“You don’t even know what happened yet.”

“He’ll tell me, and it’ll be the truth,” Paris insisted, even as she backed away down the corridor. “He’s not dumb enough to lie to me, you know this.”

They parted ways because they had to and Rory found a slight smile for her friend as she went. Maybe she shouldn’t have worried so much about Paris automatically siding with Jess. She was pretty fair-minded most of the time. In fact, Paris was the only person who struggled in debate class at times simply because she was too good and could in fact adequately fight both corners almost perfectly by herself. She had been a good friend to Rory this past year or more. In fact, they had been good friends to each other. It wasn’t just Jess and Paris that were like siblings sometimes. If Rory ever needed a sister, she had a feeling she could rely on Paris to fill the spot, and would like to say she was equally capable of stepping into the breach for her friend, as needed. Maybe things could be worked out, if Paris was prepared to play mediator. It helped Rory to feel a little more positive about where today was headed, that was for sure.

* * *

Jess really did not want to be in school today. In fact, he didn’t want to be anywhere that might lead to him running into Rory. She made him so mad and hurt this weekend, he couldn’t even describe. Even after he calmed down enough to realise that she probably didn’t mean any harm, he just couldn’t face her. He spent a lot of time walking around Stars Hollow, being anywhere she wasn’t, and even more time outside of town, playing hide and seek. He had gotten as far as Hartford but never ventured to Paris’ house for fear of what she would say when she heard the whole tale. Girls liked to stick together in stuff like this, he knew that. Best case scenario, Paris would come down on his side and offer to tear into Rory on his behalf. That wasn’t what Jess wanted either. Mostly he would love to rewind back to the point before Rory ever mentioned the Prom to him, and get his chance to ask her first. It had always been the plan.

For months now he had been putting money aside to pay for all the things they would need for a great night at the end of the school year. Maybe that was the part that bugged him the most, having his carefully laid plans hijacked, even though Rory could have no clue that he had any ideas on the subject of Prom at all, because it was going to be a surprise. He could tell her now, just explain how she hurt him, accept the apology that she was doubtless ready to give and move on. Unfortunately, Jess was too stubborn for that, and maybe too stupid, he would rather avoid the issue until it went away. With Paris in play, that just wasn’t going to happen.

The piece of paper came flying from two desks over, landing in the middle of the novel Jess was reading instead of listening to the history lesson. Usually he paid more attention in class, because he had to, but today was an exception and he really didn’t care.

‘Open and read, moron,’ said the words on the outside of the folded piece of Paris' legal pad.

Jess side-eyed his sister and gave her a look. She clearly cared nothing for his evil glare and gestured for him to read her note already, which he did.

‘You’re going to tell me exactly what happened with you and Rory this weekend. Meet me under the south staircase before fourth period. I will not be responsible for my actions if you don’t show.’

Jess did not like giving in to threats and he certainly didn’t like letting Paris tell him what to do, but on this one occasion he didn’t see he had a choice. First off, he trusted his sister to at least try to be sympathetic and helpful in a bad situation. Second, Paris knew all his secrets and didn’t make threats lightly. It probably wasn’t worth the fall-out if he didn’t show up.

Scribbling on the piece of paper she had thrown, he refolded it and threw it back the moment the teacher turned her back the next time. Jess watched Paris open it up read.

‘I’ll be there, sis.’

He hoped she would know from his carefully chosen words that whatever happened with Rory, he didn’t want it to affect the two of them. When Paris smiled, Jess knew she got it. Maybe today wasn’t going to be a total bust.

* * *

“Paris!” Rory called as they passed by each other on the way to fourth period. “Did you-?”

“On the case, Gilmore,” her friend promised. “I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”

“Okay.” Rory nodded, though it looked as if it was tough for her to keep smiling.

Paris sighed. She really wasn’t wired to be a marriage guidance councillor, but somehow she figured she was going to have to play that part today. Rory and Jess might only be dating in high school, but they were so serious and in love, it may as well be a long haul relationship. Honestly, Paris couldn’t imagine either of them ever being with anyone else.

“First we have to fix this fight before they get happily ever after,” she muttered to herself, hurrying towards the south staircase and ducking out of sight before anyone saw.

Jess arrived within a minute and Paris wasted no time in getting the truth of what happened out of him.

“Geez, you’re like a woman possessed today,” he complained, coming over and sitting down against the wall.

“And you’re like a little boy who just got his lollipop taken away,” she countered, joining him there on the floor. “Talk.”

It might’ve been fun to argue, but Jess didn’t have the strength. Actually, it felt pretty good to talk about it all. Luke had asked what happened, but all Jess had told him was he and Rory had a fight, refusing to say another word about it. He figured his uncle would get some version of events from Lorelai who wold have had the whole story from Rory. It was why he did his best to avoid everybody for as long as possible, just because he couldn’t handle the family drama. Sharing with Paris didn’t seem so tough, and when he was done, she actually seemed to see things from his point of view.

“To coin one of your phrases, huh,” she said, smirking some and then full on smiling when she saw Jess unable to keep from doing the same. “So you’re both idiots. You realise that, don’t you?”

“Oh really, that’s your theory on this situation?” asked Jess, eyes widening.

“No, it’s not a theory, it’s a fact,” Paris countered. “Geez, Mariano, buy a vowel! Rory loves you and she was trying to do something nice for the two of you. She wants to go to Prom but she thought it would be impossible or at the very least improbable that you would want to escort her given the expense of the event. Her simple solution was to help you out, make your role as small as possible in an attempt to make it easy for you to say yes,” she explained all too easily. “Unfortunately, she forgot that the male ego, particularly in the teen of the species, is more prone to serious damage than a light bulb in a spin dryer. You take away a man’s role in anything or diminish it in any way, you may as well take out a knife and castrate him right there on the spot.”

Jess winced at the too graphic imagery but he couldn’t say Paris was wrong. She had laid out both sides of the argument perfectly, landing herself squarely in the middle between Rory and himself. She saw both sides, and she thought they were both fools. There was every chance she had a point.

“Maybe you’re right,” he conceded.

“Of course I’m right.” She rolled her eyes. “If you thought your reaction was one hundred percent justified than you wouldn’t still be avoiding Rory, and I already know she’s regretting the way she proposed her plan to you because she was practically crying at my locker this morning, just praying she got a chance to apologise to you today,” she said quickly. “So, her idea was sound, but poorly executed, and your reaction was perhaps justified if not a little over the top. She’ll be sorry, you’ll be sorry, the two of you will kiss and make up and I’ll finally be allowed to look happy about the fact that I actually have a date to Prom myself,” she said, a smile breaking through that she really couldn’t keep in check for another minute.

“Seriously?” Jess checked. “Prince Charming of Princeton is going to shlep on over to Chilton Prep to bring you to your Senior Prom?”

“He happens to think I’m worth the effort,” said Paris, her tone landing somewhere between ticked at his sarcasm and proud as punch at the same time.

Jess smirked hard. “That’s probably because you are, sis,” he told her, nudging her shoulder with his own. “And thanks.”

He didn’t have to say what he was thanking her for, it was obvious enough. He needed someone with the potential to be on his side to hear what happened and make a rational response. Paris was that person, even if it didn’t seem likely to anyone other than the two of them, and maybe Rory.

“You’re welcome, idiot brother,” she told him, rolling her eyes one more time. “Now, I have to go, and so do you. As it is I’m going to have to suck up to Mr Brownlow in a big way for missing his class. You have the much easier task with Miss Jones.”

“She does love me,” said Jess with a smile as they both got up from the ground and headed out.

“One day your looks are going to fade and life won’t be so easy for you.”

“I’ll still have my charming personality,” Jess countered. “Besides, if I get in a jam, I’ll call you in to fix things.”

Paris laughed at his gall, mostly because she knew that every word he said was true.


	23. Chapter 23

Rory had hoped when she met up with Paris at lunch that Jess would be there too. Unfortunately, he had other places to be, but Paris did assure her that she had told her brother in no uncertain terms to talk to Rory as soon as he could and figure out their issues. It was why it wasn't altogether surprising and yet very nice for Rory to step out of school at the end of the day and find her boyfriend waiting by his car for her.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

They greeted each other a little stiffly. It was weird, they never really fought before, not since they had been together. In the beginning when they first knew each other, when he liked her and though she liked him she persisted in dating Dean, things were not always so good. As a couple in love, Rory and Jess had never had a fight, until now. They both hated how it felt and clearly neither wanted the weirdness between them to go on a second longer.

“I’m sorry,” they said at the same time, both smiling when they realised what they’d done.

“Jess, I really, really never meant to hurt you,” she said, walking up to stand right in front of him. “I was just trying to make it easier, to make it so you wouldn’t hate the idea, and I know I got it wrong. I screwed up the delivery, I see that now.”

“You didn’t exactly make me feel great about myself,” Jess agreed, “but I probably could’ve handled it better. It was a jerk move to avoid you all this time.”

“It was.” Rory nodded. “But I get it.”

They both seemed to agree that they were equally a little bit wrong and a whole lot sorry. So that was that, everything fixed, case closed, and yet it didn’t feel that way. Jess moved which meant Rory had to back up a step, then he opened the car door for her and ushered her into the passenger seat. Joining her in the car, Jess started it up and headed home without another word. They were half way back to Stars Hollow before Rory dared to break the silence.

“So, we’re okay now, right?” she checked.

“Sure, we’re okay,” Jess agreed, though he didn’t so much as glance at her.

Rory rationalised that he needed to keep his eyes on the road, and yet somehow it seemed like more than that. She opened her mouth to ask but then closed it again quickly. Jess just told her they were okay, and she couldn’t think why they wouldn’t be really. She was sorry for what she had done and he was sorry if he over-reacted. They loved each other, that part hadn’t changed, so there was really nothing else left to say. Strange then that Rory felt as if something was missing, as if there was something she should’ve said or that Jess wanted to say and wasn’t.

“About Prom...” she ventured, not saying more yet, trying to gauge her boyfriend’s reaction to her even bringing up the topic.

“Maybe we could just not talk about Prom for a while,” he said, his tone mostly even like it didn’t bother him much, and yet still he wasn’t so much as trying to glance her way.

“Good idea,” she agreed anyway. “We’ll just put a pin in that for now. Come back to it later. No big deal.”

She said it like she meant it, and yet Rory wasn’t entirely happy to let it go. Prom took preparation. If they were going, she needed a dress, they needed to plan how to get there, if they were doubling with Paris and Jamie or not, things like that. True enough that they did have quite a bit of time yet to get everything pulled together, but Rory didn’t know when she was supposed to bring it up again, if ever. Now didn’t feel like the right time to ask.

“So, tonight,” she tried instead. “You, er... you want to come over? Or we could-”

“Can’t, sorry.” Jess shook his head. “I think I’m gonna be working a lot this week. Luke is kinda pissed at me for my little disappearing act over the weekend,” he explained.

“Oh, sure. I get it,” Rory agreed, though she could feel the tears forming in the back of her eyes even as she smiled.

Jess wasn’t trying to hurt her, she was sure of that. If he had to work, that wasn’t his fault. Still, it stung that he was being so overly-normal with her after their fight, and couldn’t even try to make time to spend with her this evening after the better part of three days spent apart.

When they got to her house, he didn’t even offer to get out of the car with her, which he usually would. He did lean over to kiss her, but it was a nothing sort of a kiss, barely a peck. There were times when they could stand on the porch lost in each other for a good fifteen minutes and not even notice.

“I’m reading too much into this,” Rory told herself as she waved to Jess and saw him raise his hand in response before he disappeared around the corner. “Everything will be fine.”

* * *

The week passed slowly, and Rory saw very little of Jess. He drove her to school and back every day as normal, but didn’t talk much on the journey. In classes, he was the same, at lunch he always had somewhere else to be, and in the evenings he was working, either at the diner or Wal-Mart. The couple of times Rory went to hang out at Luke’s just to be near him, Jess seemed to have way too much to do. When he wasn’t waiting tables he was in the store room, disappearing upstairs to check something, running an errand so Luke didn’t have to. He was still avoiding her, Rory knew it, and yet any time she asked if he was okay, he said he was fine.

This she was explaining to Lorelai on the phone on Saturday night, after a whole day waiting for Jess to finish his Wal-Mart shift and his homework before he called her or dropped by. It was seven o’clock and she hadn’t heard from or seen him yet.

“I called his cell and nothing,” she explained. “Then I tried the apartment and I got the answering machine. I even tried Paris’ house and he’s not there either. I don’t understand.”

“Guys can be complicated, sweetheart,” her mother sympathised. “After that fight you had, I guess it’s taking Jess a while to get over it.”

“But if he’s not over it why did he saw that he was? He said everything was fine.”

“Yeah, ‘cause us girls are always fine when we say we’re fine!” Lorelai chuckled. “Honey, guys can be just as good at using the 'not fine' fine as we can, they just don’t like to admit it.”

Rory considered that as she sat down heavily on the couch.

“Well, it’s not fair,” she complained. “I apologised, he apologised. It’s supposed to be fine, even if it’s not.”

“And I am not supposed to be working Saturday night, but as we all know, life is not fair,” Lorelai reminded her. “If Taylor Doose and his entire family of misfits hadn’t upset the rest of the guests so badly that I need to be here to fire-fight, I could be home with you, a large carton of Rocky Road and a Godfather movie marathon, but as it is, kid, I’m afraid you’re on your own.”

“I hate being on my own,” Rory grumbled. “Actually, that’s not true, I hate being on my own because some guy decided for me that I have to be,” she complained, anger rising with every word. “I mean, who does he think he is? I apologised, and he said it was fine. Now he’s avoiding me, which he knows is jerk behaviour because he said as much before and apologised for it, so why is he still making me feel bad? That’s not cool!”

“You tell him, baby girl!”

“I would, if I could find him.”

“Well, tell it to the answering machine if that’s all you’ve got, but I’m sorry, babe, I really have to go now.”

The call ended then as Lorelai rushed off to some inn business or other. Rory was seething as she dialled the number of Luke and Jess’ apartment again and waited for the machine to kick in. Jess could not treat her this way, it wasn’t right, and she planned on telling him so.

“Hi, this is a message for Jess. Just who do you think you are, Mister! Yes, we had a fight, and I did the wrong thing, I know that, but I apologised, and you apologised, and then you said we were fine. You said it so many times, I thought hey, it’s gotta be true, but no, you lied to me, Jess. You lied and said we were fine when clearly we're not. If you were an adult like you’re supposed to be then you would talk to me, tell me the truth about how you’re feeling and then we could figure things out, but no, you’ve gone back to that jerk behaviour of avoiding me. Well, when you finally decide to call me or come over, don’t expect me to be waiting. I’m going out tonight. I’m... I’m going to the hockey game! Yeah, that’s where I’m going. I’ll go with Lane and Young Chui and we’ll have a great time and you can just... you can just be a jerk all by yourself!” she declared, about to hang up before something occurred to her. “Oh, this is Rory. Bye!”

Throwing down the phone, Rory stalked off to her room and grabbed her jacket, pulling it on. She wasn’t sure she was that interested in seeing a hockey game to be honest, but she knew it was a place where she could go and hang out with friends, and that was all she wanted right now. Certainly she wasn’t going to wait around to be made a fool of by her boyfriend who didn’t seem to want the title anymore anyway.

Heading for the front door, she yanked it open, stepping out onto the porch. She stopped short of the steps when she realised she was not alone.

Jess was stood on the driveway by his car, a set up not dissimilar to when he waited for her outside school on Monday afternoon, except this time he was actually smiling. A click got her attention and then Rory was suddenly aware of a hundred or more twinkle lights coming on all around her, and music playing too. It was beautiful, like something out of a movie, only even more perfect and special because it was actually happening.

“What is...? I don’t understand,” she told Jess, shaking her head.

“You kinda stole my thunder last week,” he explained, pushing off the car and coming to stand at the bottom of the porch steps. “I had a plan, I just hadn’t... perfected it yet,” he said awkwardly. “But this was how it was supposed to be,” he said, gesturing to the lights and all. “This was how I was going to ask you... Rory, do you wanna go to the Prom with me?”

She was crying and hadn’t actually hadn’t noticed she was until she tried to speak and found no words came out. Tears spilled down Rory’s cheeks as she swallowed hard and tried again to give her answer.

“Yes,” she said at last. “Jess, I would love to go to the Prom with you. This is amazing.”

“And now you can probably see why I was kind of pissed about your little set up at Miss Patty’s,” he said, stepping up to join her on the porch, his arms going around her as naturally as ever.

“I get it. More now than before,” Rory admitted. “But why couldn’t you just tell me this was the other part of the reason why you were so upset with me?”

“And ruin the surprise even more than you already had?” he said, giving her a look. “I know I’ve been kinda distant this past week, but I needed to... I don't know, regroup? I had to figure out if it was still worth it.”

“Our relationship?” said Rory, terrified that she had come that close to losing him for good.

“No, not that.” Jess rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Rory, you know how I feel about you,” he told her, his hand at her cheek, thumb wiping away another stray tear. “I just... I don’t know, I psyched myself up to do this whole Prom-posal thing that guys are supposed to do, and then... Well, you made me feel like an idiot, which I know you’re sorry for,” he added quickly, “but it doesn’t change how I felt. I’m still not used to all this boyfriend stuff. It's all new territory. Throws me off sometimes.”

“I think you’re an amazing boyfriend,” said Rory, smiling at him now. “I just really missed you these past few days.”

“I’m sorry about that,” he told her honestly, “but we’re cool now, right?”

“I am if you are,” Rory promised.

Jess nodded his head and pulled her closer. This time when they kissed it was how it was supposed to be, and Rory truly believed Jess when he said everything was okay. Lost in the moment, neither of them cared if they were alone or if the whole world was watching. A week was way too long to have been at odds like they had been, and they were both fools for letting things drag on like they had.

“Mom will be at the inn ‘til late,” she said when they parted, with a look that was unmistakable. “You wanna come inside for a while?”

“I think I can spare the time,” Jess teased her, making her laugh before he kissed her again.

They were in her bedroom, clothes already coming off before a thought occurred to Rory and she suddenly pulled away.

“Jess?”

“What?”

“When you get home, delete any messages on your answering machine, okay? Don’t even bother to listen.”

Jess frowned at that and then nodded his agreement, happy to forget about the weird request within a second when Rory kissed him again and pulled him down onto the bed with her.


	24. Chapter 24

“I told you everything would be fine,” said Paris triumphantly, popping another chip into her mouth. “You two are lucky you have me looking out for your relationship. Seriously, I don’t know how you’d cope without me.”

It was over a week now since Rory and Jess made up thanks to Paris’ help, and several days since he had asked her about Prom. Things were finally back to normal, except for the part where Paris wouldn’t stop crowing about how great her contribuction was in the fixing of things between her brother and her friend.

“Paris, I’m not saying you didn’t help,” said Rory with a smile, “but you do realise that me and Jess had something to do with it too, right?”

“Don’t even try, Rory,” her boyfriend advised her. “As far as Paris is concerned she’s now the Patron Saint of our relationship, and we can only function with her there to keep us on the right path,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“You should be nicer to me,” Paris snapped at him. “I kept your ridiculous Prom question extravaganza to myself, and tried to convince Rory not to dump you during the week of sullen jerk behaviour. I did my part, don’t forget that.”

Jess knew he couldn’t argue with what she said because it was in fact perfectly true. Of course, he wasn’t about to admit that so he said nothing at all.

“Speaking of relationships,” said Rory with a grin, “you and Jamie certainly seem to getting along really, really well.”

“What can I say? The man has taste,” said Paris, blushing as she did so.

She could try to play it as cool as she wanted, but her friends knew better. If she wasn’t in love with this guy then she was damn close. She talked about him more often than she meant to, and though she always got her studies complete on time and to no less of a standard than before, much of her free time was spent either talking to Jamie or physically spending time with him now.

“I guess it says something about him that he hasn’t made you cry yet,” said Jess thougthfully. “Believe me, he’d be missing teeth if he had.”

“Down boy!” Paris told him, though she was smiling just the same. “If I need a guard dog, I’ll yell.”

“I don’t think Jamie would ever upset Paris on purpose,” Rory insisted. “He’s one of life’s good guys.”

Jess rolled his eyes but let it go. Actually, he didn’t hate Jamie. The truth was, he didn’t know the guy, but he did worry about Paris. Of course the saving grace of the boyfriend was that if the worst happened and Paris didn’t get her dream of going to Harvard, there was always Princeton who might take her, the place where the great and wonderful Jamie was to be found.

“So, any sign of college acceptance letters yet?” asked Paris then, almost as if she read his mind. “Nothing interesting in my mail box so far. I’m not sure whether to assume that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“I read that the acceptance letters go out first, and then once the colleges know how many students have taken up a place, they send out the second wave of acceptance letters and all the rejections,” Rory explained. “Of course, that’s probably not true for every school. So far nothing for me either.”

“Jess?” Paris prompted when he was quiet too long.

“Nothing,” he confirmed shaking his head.

He hoped she didn’t take his concentration on his lunch as a sign he was lying. Actually, Jess was telling the whole truth. He really hadn’t received news either way from any of the schools he had applied to, but this wasn’t a topic he much wanted to talk about. While the girls were desperate to know if they made the grade for Harvard, Yale, and the like, Jess wasn’t sure what result he was hoping for - the big envelope or the small.

Eventually somebody would say something else on a new topic. Jess just didn’t expect it to be the teacher’s aide coming along to summon both Rory and Paris’ to Charleston’s office.

The girls shared a look and then went on their way, promising to catch up with Jess later. He thought about wishing them good luck or something, but it seemed unlikely they would need it. Paris rarely got herself into real trouble and Rory certainly never did. It was most likely he wanted to congratulate the girls on some great achievement, or maybe it had to do with them being class president and vice. Jess figured he would find out later.

* * *

“I have big news to tell you later,” said Lorelai with the widest of grins on her face.

Luke couldn’t help but smile along with her, even though he had no idea what she was so happy about.

“You can’t tell me now?” he checked, watching as she took a long sip of her coffee and then shook her head.

“Nope. This is non-sharing in public news,” she told him, “but happy too. Very happy.”

There was really no answer that Luke could give to that. He couldn’t imagine what secretive happy news he was supposed to expect to hear, though he did understand Lorelai’s reluctance to say anything of importance within the diner. There weren’t so many customers right now, but that just meant it was easier to overhear other people’s conversations. Gossip spread around Stars Hollow like wild fire as it was. No need to help it along.

Since there were no more customers that needed to be served right now, Luke took a moment to give his girlfriend his full attention. He leaned his elbows on the counter next to where she was eating her sandwich and smiled.

“You got any news you want to share and can actually talk about?”

“Hmm,” she said, considering the question way too much before she answered. “Oh yeah, I saw Max today.”

“Max as in Medina?” asked Luke, watching her nod. “As in the guy you almost married?”

“That’d be him,” Lorelai agreed, wiping mayo from the corner of her mouth. “Kind of weird running into him like that, just there in the middle of a pharmacy. Kinda nice though.”

“Really?”

Lorelai saw something in Luke’s expression that was both ridiculous and adorable at the same time.

“Luke, seriously,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Please tell me you are not about to get jealous over my talking to Max. Are you really that insecure about this relationship?” she checked, almost ready to feel hurt about it if he were.

“No, I’m not... insecure,” he said awkwardly, moving to adjust his hat. “I’m just... Well, what did he want?”

“A pack of aspirin, I think,” said Lorelai, smiling at her own joke. “He didn’t want anything,” she explained then. “We bumped into each other, agreed that each of us looked good. He told me how he’s been teaching at Stanford and was back for a little bit at Chilton. We mentioned Rory and how well she’s doing, oh, and then I told him about you.”

“About me?”

“Yes, about you. I told him you and I were together now. He seemed very not surprised by that,” she said, smiling as she thought of it now.

“Really?”

Luke smiled too, recalling the couple of times when he had conversations with Max Medina. Man, Luke had been jealous of that guy, but always liked that he seemed able to rattle the English teacher by pushing the point of how close he and Lorelai were. In the end, everything had worked out for the best. Medina was out of the picture, and Luke and Lorelai couldn’t be happier together.

“I can’t believe I ever thought Max was the guy for me,” said Lorelai then, chewing thoughtfully on a bite of her sandwich. “I mean, he was great and everything, such a nice guy, but... well, he’s not you, babe. I shoulda seen it sooner,” she said, smiling widely.

Luke leaned over the counter to kiss her lips.

“You know I love you, right?”

“Sure,” she agreed happily. “And I love you. That’s kind of the point.”

Just as they parted, the bell over the door rang. Rory and Jess came into the diner together, hand in hand as they often were.

“Hey, kids. How was school?” asked Lorelai, turning on her stool to greet them.

“Pretty average for me,” said Jess. “A little more than that if you’re Rory or Paris.”

“Okay. Explain please,” Lorelai urged her daughter.

Rory hopped up onto the stool by her mom, whilst Jess tossed his jacket and bag behind the curtain and joined Luke on the other side of the counter. He was as eager to see the reaction to this as Rory was to tell the story.

“Well, Headmaster Charleston called me and Paris into his office today to talk about our speeches. You know, the ones we prepared last week? Apparently, we both did so well, we have to work together, combine our speeches, and then present them in front of an audience of students, teachers, and parents for Chilton’s Bicentennial, plus cameras will be present - we’re going to be live on C-SPAN!”

“Oh my God!” Lorelai gasped, leaping from her stool with delight and hugging Rory so tight her daughter couldn’t actually breathe for a minute. “Honey, this is amazing! Epic! I can’t believe this!”

“Congratulations, Rory,” said Luke with a wide smile. “What can I get you? Anything at all, on the house.”

“Oh, wow. Thanks, Luke,” said Rory happily, trying to decide what she wanted.

Just as soon as she made her choice, Jess said he would go and make it. The truth was, he could not be more proud of his girlfriend or his sister. The whole education thing didn’t thrill Jess at all, but he knew what it meant to Rory and Paris to excel. Their upcoming appearance on C-SPAN made them so happy (if not a little nervous in Rory’s case) and that was all Jess wanted for either of them. It also gave Paris something other than college applications to talk about for a while. Rumour had it that people were starting to receive acceptance and rejection letters from the Ivy League, which meant Jess, Rory, and Paris were all expecting their large or small envelopes at any time.

Jess wasn’t sure what worried him more, that he would or would not get into Harvard, Yale, or any of the other places he had applied to. Not being where Rory and Paris were going to be didn’t thrill him, but at the same time, he really wasn’t sure that the whole further education thing was such a great idea. Luke told him not to think about the money, but Jess found that tough. Plus he wasn’t convinced he could stand another four years of being talked down to by teachers, writing papers, and spending most of his time enclosed in a classroom. It had never been something he thought was possible for him until recently, and now that it was, even at this late stage, Jess wasn’t sure what to do. He supposed he didn’t have to worry too much until he found out for sure if he even could go to any of the schools he applied to. He was bound to find out soon, whether he liked it or not. In the meantime, he could enjoy Rory’s happiness over her upcoming C-SPAN appearance, and Paris’ silence on any topic that wasn’t said appearance. That wasn’t nothing.


	25. Chapter 25

Jess picked the mail up off the table and flipped through the envelopes. Luke had a habit of just throwing it there as he moved back and forth through the apartment early in the morning, and half the time Jess paid no mind to it. Now he couldn’t help himself. Lately, he had something to look for, whether he liked it or not. So far he had heard nothing from any of the four colleges he had applied to. Apparently, today was a big day.

“Huh,” he said to himself, looking down at one small envelope dwarfed by two large ones.

These were not the odds he expected to be playing. Honestly, though his grades were good and he was pretty sure the interview process went well enough, Jess was well aware that he was lacking in the extra-curriculars and such that colleges looked for. Opening up the small envelope first he found that Harvard had rejected his application, which actually stung a little bit, even though he had been expecting it. He was never going to be good enough for a school like that, not a damn chance, but it was where Rory and Paris were most likely to end up. Now he could not go with them, even if he wanted to.

Taking a deep breath, Jess moved on to the two larger envelopes and was half way through opening the second one when Luke came barging back into the apartment.

“Hey, Jess, I need you to-” he began, but stopped very abruptly when he realised what was going on. “Are those...?”

“Acceptance letters.” Jess nodded, clearly struggling with the concept himself. “Apparently, I’m University of Bridgeport material. Also, somebody in the Yale admissions office is clearly on crack or something,” he said, shaking his head. “They want me too.”

“Oh, wow, Jess. This is... This is amazing!”

Luke looked overjoyed and sounded it too. He was stood by Jess now, just itching to make a big deal but clearly knowing that was not something his nephew was overly comfortable with. Eventually, the pressure was too much and Luke couldn’t help but hug him. Jess let it happen, even going so far as to let one arm go around his uncle and pat his back. He had to admit, even if only inside his own head, that it was kind of nice to have someone be proud of him. It was cool to have anything for them to be proud of at all actually.

“You did good, nephew,” said Luke as they parted.

“Thanks,” he replied, nodding his head, feeling as awkward as he looked.

“I guess it’s true what they said about good news coming in threes. You getting accepted to college, Rory and Paris being on TV tonight, and Sookie...” he trailed off when he remembered that last part was supposed to be a secret. “Well, er, Sookie is pregnant, but that’s not public knowledge.”

“Nobody’s gonna hear it from me,” Jess assured him, eyes still stuck on the acceptance letters in his hands.

Colleges wanted him to go there, and not just any colleges either. One of these places was Ivy League. It was beyond Jess’ comprehension, and yet somehow he didn’t hate it. Somehow he was actually considering doing this, going on in his studies, making something of himself. He never really thought that he would get the opportunity for so long. Everything was different now. It was almost too much to deal with.

“I should head out,” he said eventually. “School,” he said by way of further explanation.

“Yeah, right, school” Luke agreed. “Well, you have a good day.”

“Thanks.” Jess nodded, grabbing his jacket and bag as he head for the door.

He barely made it down the stairs and out from behind the curtain when Rory came barrelling towards him, Lorelai hot on her heels.

“Where’s the fire?” he asked, until he saw the tell-tale large envelopes clutched in their hands.

“I got in!” his girlfriend told him triumphantly.

“Where?” he checked.

“She got the trifecta, baby!” Lorelai said joyously. “Harvard, Princeton, and Yale!” she cried, grinning so wide her face looked set to split in two.

“Rory, that’s great,” said Jess, hugging her close. “I know how much this matters to you.”

“It really does,” she admitted, grateful for his congratulations.

Rory half expected Jess to be weird about her getting into all three schools. He really didn’t like to talk or even think about college and the future. Quite honestly, it made Rory nervous to consider it too, but at least now she knew her options, and apparently she had a lot.

“I got a couple of these this morning too,” said Jess, as Lorelai squeezed by him to run upstairs and give Luke the happy news. “Bridgeport wants me. Also - marvel at the concept - Yale,” he admitted.

“Yale? You got into Yale?” Rory cried happily. “Jess, that’s amazing. I knew they’d want you. Who wouldn’t want you?”

She was so happy, hugging and kissing him so much, Jess couldn’t catch his breath and didn’t really want to. There was no way he could tell her about Harvard now. It was the one place she had always been hell-bent on going to, and now it was a definite that if she did, she would go without him. Jess wouldn’t ask her to stay, to go somewhere closer like Yale just so they could be together, but right now, he couldn’t even tell her the truth of his rejection, not today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe.

* * *

“I kept telling Jess that if he just made an effort in the interview process, he could easily get into any of the colleges he applied for, and Yale proved my point for me,” said Paris happily.

“I am so proud of him,” Rory agreed, letting herself into the house with her friend right behind her. “Actually, I’m proud of all three of us,”

“We’re doing pretty good so far,” Paris agreed with a smile.

She now had acceptance letters from Yale and Princeton, along with a rejection from Colombia that she said she couldn’t care less about. The main target was Harvard and they had yet to get back to her, or Jess from what she understood.

“Well, it may not help our chances with college now, but I suggest we put all out concentration on this speech now,” said Rory as they moved through to her bedroom to work. “I do not want to make a fool of myself on C-SPAN.”

“We have this thing down pat,” Paris reminded her. “All the hours of rewriting and practising we’ve put in, nobody will ever have delivered a speech as well as we’re going to tonight.”

“One more run through wouldn’t hurt,” her friend insisted. “I know you’re all up on our public speaking skills, but some of us get nervous.”

“What’s to be nervous about? Lorelai, Luke, Jess, your grandfather, they’ll all be there to support you. What more encouragement could you need?”

“They’ll be supporting you too, Paris,” Rory reminded her. “You know you’re as much a part of the family as anyone.”

Paris smiled at that, unable to help it. She did look at Rory as a sister much of the time, even if she was even less related to her than Jess had been. It was kind of cool having family, since her actual blood relatives numbered two mostly-absentee parents. Of course, there was one other person in her life that she had become very close to recently, but he was in no way family, and that was a very good thing.

“So, I think if we could just run through the whole thing one more time,” Rory was saying as she pulled her copy of the combined speech from the desk drawer, “just to check the timing more than anything-”

“Rory?” Paris interrupted her, barely gaining her full attention before the confession slipped out. “I had sex with Jamie.”

“What?” 

The word came out of Rory like a mouse squeaking. Paris wasn’t sure whether to be offended or just feign injury to the ear from the high-pitched sound.

“Nice reaction,” she said, wincing too much. “Are you part dolphin or something?”

“I’m sorry.” Rory laughed at herself, sitting down on the end of the bed with a bump. “I just... Wow. That’s such a big deal, but I guess you have known each other a while now. If you felt ready, then it’s good, right?”

“I think so.” Paris nodded, blushing also, she just couldn’t help it. “It’s so weird, I didn’t go over there with a plan or anything. We were just talking, debating actually. We were discussing modern day Marxism in America, which is not what I would have deemed a ‘come and get it’ sort of conversation, but nevertheless, he came and got it,” she explained. “Do you think I’m crazy?”

“Why would I think that?” asked Rory, probably looking as confused as she felt, she supposed. “You and Jamie are... Well, I’m not sure I’ve heard you use the word ‘love’ personally, but you’re close. You like each other a lot.”

“Actually, love was mentioned at the time. I don’t know that it was the only reason it happened, though I have a feeling it may have been a factor. The realisation of these feelings that I barely knew I was capable of... I do love him, Rory. I never expected to, and if you asked me to give you a breakdown of the reasons why, I’m not sure I could. Is that how it is with you and Jess?”

“Kind of, I guess,” Rory considered. “I mean, there’s a lot of things to love about Jess, and about Jamie, of course, but it’s hard to say exactly why you love a person. You just, kind of, do.”

“Exactly!” said Paris excitedly. “And I never thought I could be okay with something like that, with feelings that I can’t quantify or properly explain, but it’s weirdly nice. It feels good. That night with Jamie felt really good,” she admitted.

“That’s great, Paris. I’m happy for you.” Rory smiled. “So, you think Jamie will affect your choice of college? I mean, Princeton already accepted you and your boyfriend goes there, so...”

“Harvard is the goal,” Paris said, shaking her head. “I can’t possibly consider any other college whilst Harvard is still an option. I can’t actually imagine going anywhere but there. Can you?”

“I don’t know,” Rory admitted. “For the longest time, it was all about Harvard, nowhere else, but the more I think about it... I don’t know, sometimes I think it might be okay to go to Yale, like Grandpa did, to be close to home, to Mom and everybody, but like you said, Harvard is the goal. I need to give it more thought.”

She didn’t add that she was also waiting to see what happened with Jess and Paris, whether they got the big or small envelope when it came to her main option for further education. If neither of them got accepted to Harvard, Rory wasn’t so sure she was that dead set on going anymore. Maybe that was the wrong reason to change her mind, but she just couldn’t help it.

“We should really get back to the speech, I guess,” said Paris then, snapping her friend back to reality.

She made an excellent point. The Chilton Bicentennial, and moreover C-SPAN, waited for no woman!

* * *

“Where is she?” asked Rory for what felt like te forty-seventh time. “Mom, have you seen the time? I can’t understand why she’s not here!”

Lorelai did her best to calm her daughter, but quite honestly she was starting to worry too. When Paris left the Crap Shack earlier, she was in good spirits and more than ready for the speechifying she was due to do beside Rory tonight. Now they were within five minutes of go time and Miss Geller was nowhere to be seen!

They tried calling and texting. Luke had even offered to drive towards her house to check if her car broke down on the way, but there would’ve been no time to get her there now, even if that was the case.

“This is insane,” said Jess, pulling his cell away from his ear. “Paris lives for this junk. There’s no way she would deliberately miss it.”

Just as he said it, Rory’s eyes caught sight of a familiar blonde head and called Paris’ name. The almost unrecognisable girl came ambling towards them as if she had all the time in the world, and the weight of the world on her shoulders for good measure.

“Miss Gilmore, Miss Geller,” said Headmaster Charleston from behind them. “I hope you are quite ready. I am about to make your introduction.”

Without another word or care for what was happening, he headed back into the hall and up onto his podium. Lorelai watched him go with no small amount of worry. She craned her neck to where Luke and Richard were sat together, giving them a thumbs up that everything was fine. She only wished that were true.

“My life is over.”

“Paris, now is not the time,” Rory insisted.

She was in a state of panic herself and hadn’t noticed, as Jess had, the envelope clutched in Paris’ hand. The small envelope. He already knew what it must be, and there was no way his sister was going in front of cameras and making a speech. Not today.

“Rory, she can’t do this,” he told her with a look. “She can’t.”

“But... But I can’t do this alone!”

“Babe,” said Lorelai, pulling her to her. “You got this. You know you do. We’re all here for you.”

Paris was muttering to herself and Jess was torn. He wanted to help her but he couldn’t abandon Rory either. The difference was, his girlfriend had other support here where Paris had none. It was kind of the main reason why the two of them had so easily taken up sibling roles with each other in the first place.

Stepping in closer to Rory, Jess pulled her forward and laid a kiss on her cheek.

“You’ll knock ‘em dead,” he promised her in a whisper. “Just be cool, okay?”

“Like Frank at the Sands, right?” she joked, trying to keep the nervous shake out of her voice. “Sure, I got this.”

“We know you do, hon,” Lorelai said encouragingly. “We’ll see you after,” she said to Jess then, both of them knowing he wouldn’t be there for the speech - he had other priorities right now.

“C’mon, sis,” he told Paris, leading her away from the scene.

They walked towards the nearest classroom that was not being used for coats or coffee. Jess took Paris in and sat her down at a desk, crouching down by her seat and trying to see her face. She was beyond pale, but with red-rimmed eyes that proved she had been crying before this. The tears were over now but instead there was panic and confusion.

Paris wasn’t kidding when she said her life was over. As crazy as it seemed, that was what she would believe if Harvard had said no. Jess would lay every cent he had on that being the problem, that the letter clasped too tightly in Paris’ hand was exactly that, the rejection she had been dreading from the college she always strived so hard to attend.

“I thought of nothing else for the longest time,” she said, still staring into space until suddenly her eyes moved to meet Jess’ own. “You know better than anyone. I was on my way and nothing could stop me, and here’s the really funny thing – after four years of slaving away, I get home today and I find this,” she said, waving he envelope in his face. “I’m not going to Harvard.”

Jess closed his eyes a second and tried to find the right words to say. He wasn’t good at this. At comfort, at helping people out in troubled times. He could get himself out a jam, always, but other people? He had only just learnt what it was to care about family and to have them care about him. Jess was so out of his league right now, and yet he had volunteered for his gig. He had brought Paris into this room to help her and now he had nothing.

“I’m sorry,” he said eventually. “Paris, if I could fix it, I would,” he told her, with all the sincerity he possessed.

He meant it. They both knew he did, but it really didn’t mean much, because what he was proposing was impossible. He couldn’t change Harvard’s mind about her any more than he could move a mountain. It was sweet that he would even offer though.

“How did this happen to me?” she asked then. “Is it my fault? Did I take my eye off the ball? I keep going over and over everything, where I must have gone wrong. I mean, Rory got in, and she’s never even been as dedicated as I am. She had a boyfriend to distract her long before I did. She had sex before I did-”

“You had sex with that Princeton tool?” said Jess, shocked by the revelation. “Yeah, I know, not the point and none of my business,” he back-tracked off Paris’ incredulous look.

“If not for Rory and you, I’d think I was being punished for it,” she said sadly, slamming her hand against the desk in frustration. “I don’t deserve this, Jess. Do I? Am I so horrible? Have I been so bad that this is some kind of punishment?”

Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to fall. Jess’ heart broke for her. He pulled the next desk over, sat down beside her and threw an arm around her shoulders.

“Listen to me,” he told her, moving her chin with his free hand so she was looking at him. “You’re not being punished, okay? That’s crazy talk, and as crazy as you can be, I know you’re not so stupid that you believe that crap,” he said definitely. “I’m sorry you didn’t get into Harvard, Paris, but your life is not over. C’mon, you’re too good for that school anyway.”

“Too good for Harvard?” she scoffed. “Now who’s crazy?”

“Still you,” he assured her with a half-smile he couldn’t help. “C’mon, it’s just a school. Okay, screw Harvard, there are other places. You got into Princeton, you got into Yale. Pick one, go there, do whatever you want, but do not let one stupid school’s rejection define the rest of your life. If you do that, then you’re not the sister I agreed to have.”

Paris wasn’t sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Jess was being oddly sweet for a guy that would usually run screaming from that kind of thing, but then she always knew he was capable of it. She felt absolutely wretched over not getting into Harvard and she doubted that would change any time soon, but Jess did have a point. She did have other options, other Ivy League schools that would take her. It was hard to imagine going anywhere but Cambridge’s fine institution of learning, but she supposed in time she could adjust her thinking.

“Rory said she might consider Yale yet,” she noted, sniffing hard to keep from crying too much.

Jess shrugged. “I guess at least we’d all be in the same place that way.”

“All?” Paris echoed.

“I got into Yale too remember?” he reminded her. “And for what it’s worth,” he said after some deliberation inside his own mind, “I didn’t get into Harvard either.”

Paris’ eyes widened at that and then she frowned. As far as she knew, Jess hadn’t heard back from Harvard. If he had kept that rejection a secret from her, he had to have kept it from Rory too, or Gilmore would’ve broken and confessed the truth by now. Too many conflicting emotions converged in Paris then and the tears came again, in loud horrible sobs that she was ashamed to realise she couldn’t hold in a moment longer.

Jess pulled her to him and held on tight, it was all he could think to do for now.

“It’s gonna be okay, sis,” he told her, determined to make it true somehow. “We’re gonna be okay.”


	26. Chapter 26

“How’s she doing?”

“Better, I think,” said Jess, looking over his shoulder to make sure Paris hadn’t come into the room.

Honestly, he didn’t expect it. She was hauled up in her own room and had been almost the entire weekend, not even allowing the staff to see her if she could help it. The news about Harvard had hit her so hard. As much as he knew she had set her heart on going, Jess never would have imagined she would lose it quite like this. Anger and injustice, those things he was expecting, but this was real sadness, desolation, and buckets of tears. Jess never knew Paris could cry this much, and it had taken some work on his part to be the support she needed. He always said he would be her brother no matter what. Having to prove it now was interesting to say the least. He never had to be this person before, but for her, he would always do his best. She did it for him, after all.

“I feel so bad for her,” Rory sympathised. “I’m glad she has you, with her parents not caring so much.”

“Geller’s not so bad, he just thinks more of his work than his daughter.” Jess sighed. “I guess you can say at least he’s making money to keep her in her precious education system. He’s doing more than my father ever did for me.”

Rory tried not to wince at the bitter tone. Jess didn’t talk about his dad much. All she really knew was that his name was Jimmy and he left before Jess was born, or right after he was born, she was a little vague on the exact timing. Needless to say he had never been a part of Jess’ life, and his mother, whilst friendly enough when Rory met her, really wasn’t much use as a parent. It seemed to Rory that she had pretty much won the parental lottery with her mom. Sure, her dad was kind of absent, but Lorelai would do anything for Rory, putting her feelings, her welfare, ahead of anything else. One way or another, Jess and Paris had both been much less lucky. At least they had each other now, plus Luke, herself, and Lorelai by extension. That wasn’t nothing.

“How’s everything there?” asked Jess then. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s okay,” Rory told him. “I think the whole fire thing is only just now sinking in. It was all adrenaline when we were dealing with the guests and figuring out what happened. Now the shock is fading and it’s all so real.”

“I’m sorry I’m not there to help.”

“Jess, you’re not Superman. You can’t be everywhere all at once,” she said, though she was smiling at the fact he wanted to. “Me and Luke are helping Mom. Paris needs you more right now.”

“You wouldn’t think so,” he told her with a sigh. “She spends half her time telling me to get lost.”

“She’s just lashing out because she’s hurting,” Rory reminded him. “This was her dream. All she’s talked about since I met her was going to Harvard. It’s kind of what she’s lived for her whole life, in a weird way. I mean, I would’ve been upset not to get in myself, but for Paris? She doesn’t exactly have a lot in her life apart from school, at least until you and me, and Jamie, I guess.”

Jess nodded he understood, even though Rory couldn’t see. Honestly, she was helping him out a lot right now. It was tough explaining to Paris that her life wasn’t over and getting her to believe it. When he tried to cheer her up, tell her she still had options, she still had friends and family and a boyfriend, Paris brushed it off like it was all nothing. Jess started to think maybe he was talking crap, but now Rory was confirming that what he was saying was right, what he was trying to do was worth it. He needed that.

“If I don’t get back in time to see you tonight, I’ll catch you in school tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed. “I love you,” she told him, knowing it was random but really feeling the need to make it clear right now.

“Yeah, I love you too,” he promised before they ended their call.

Jess put the phone down and let out a long breath. Rubbing a hand over his face he found his bearings and got up to go find Paris again. Not that she took much finding. He hadn’t been kidding about her hiding in her room as much as possible. This whole weekend, she had only gotten out of bed a handful of times for the sake of bathroom visits and the like. Given half the chance, Jess had a feeling his sister planned on becoming a recluse, but there was no way in hell he was allowing that to happen. Talking to Rory, hearing her being so supportive of his cause, it gave Jess the strength that he had been lacking the last few hours. Enough was enough, and this ended here.

“Paris!” he bellowed, busting into her room.

He found her watching TV and blowing her nose loudly into a wad of tissue.

“Do we have to have another talk about knocking, you idiot?!” she yelled at him, eyes red from crying again. “I could’ve been naked.”

“And then I would’ve gouged my own eyes out with the nearest sharp object,” Jess dead-panned. “We’re not doing this anymore.”

“Doing what?” she grumbled, refocusing on the TV.

Jess barged into her room and put himself between her and the screen.

“Hey!” Paris protested, but it did her no good.

Her brother turned off the set and faced her head on, something most people would never dare. The difference was that Jess wasn’t most people.

“Get up, get dressed, and stop feeling sorry for yourself,” he told her forcefully.

“Y’know you should really do something about your bedside manner,” Paris complained. “Like getting one.”

Jess was unmoved.

“You’re not sick, Paris. Sick in the head sometimes, sure, but not the kind of sick that needs bed-rest and a nursemaid,” he told her firmly. “So you didn’t get into Harvard, it sucks, I get it, but now you have to move on.”

“Really, Dr Phil? Is that what I have to do. You couldn’t possibly understand!” she complained, arms folded across her chest as she looked away.

“I don’t understand?” Jess echoed. “You have no idea, Paris. You wanna talk disappointments? I got a hundred for you. So you didn’t get into a college, you got into a bunch of others that are just as good. You’ve had the best of everything your whole life. Classy schools, fancy clothes, all the gadgets, a flashy car, waited on by maids and cooks and butlers.”

“Nobody has a butler anymore.” Paris rolled her eyes. “I’m not Lex Luthor.”

“You know what I mean!” Jess continued crossly. “You had everything, Paris. Not a family, I get that,” he said before she had a chance to cut in and say so. “Your parents suck, I know, but at least they were around. You got money instead of time. It’s not the best, but it’s more than I had.”

Paris couldn’t argue with that, because she knew damn well how true it was. Liz was worse than her mother, and Jimmy was way more absent than Ira, in that he had never been there at all, not even a little bit. Paris did not have the monopoly on bad parents. She couldn’t boast the sucky living situations that Jess had endured over the years, or the kind of suffering he had seen. She was lucky and she knew it, even if she didn’t feel it right now. Jess felt it was his job to make her see, for her own good, as well as for everyone else’s sanity.

“I thought I could at least count on you for sympathy, brother,” she said then, a lame attempt at keeping him on side in her pathetic sulk.

Paris ought to have known it wouldn’t work.

“Geez, Paris! I’ve been sympathetic,” he reminded her. “I’m sorry you didn’t get into Harvard, and I’m sorry that you feel like it’s the end of the world, but it’s not. It’s just not,” he repeated. “You gotta snap out of this thing, acting like your life is over because some stupid-ass college said ‘no, thanks’. You’re Paris frickin’ Geller. You gotta be tougher than this,” he reminded her, “because if you’re not, then you’re not the woman I agreed to have for a sister.”

Her head turned so fast so she could meet his eyes, Jess was surprised Paris didn’t give herself whiplash. It was practically a threat in her eyes, saying she wouldn’t be his sister anymore if she didn’t suck it up and get over it already. He knew she would take it that way, which was exactly why he said it. Jess and Paris were two of a kind in ways most people would never understand. They had each other in place of other people who ought to have been there for them, and in the past eighteen months, they had come to rely on each other somehow. Threatening to take away the support he provided, Jess knew that would hurt Paris, but it was what he had to do, because he couldn’t take seeing her like this anymore.

“You realise how screwed up this is, right?” she said, trying to be angry still but mostly coming off tired and sad. “I’m taking advice from some James Dean wannabe from New York, a rebel without a clue, who I’ve willingly adopted as my brother. How could I ever expect Harvard to want me? I must be certifiably insane.”

“I always thought so,” Jess dead-panned, not at all insulted by her words, because he knew that wasn’t really her intention.

Quite honestly, it was a pleasure to hear her sounding more like herself. If she started being really nice to him, Jess would probably be more worried about her than he had been before. The tears and pathetic sulky behaviour really weren’t Paris.

“Maybe my life isn’t over,” she conceded. “Maybe,” she reiterated with emphasis. “Doesn’t mean I’m happy about this.”

“Nobody expects you to do back-flips, Paris,” said Jess, letting all the anger and fight go now that seemed to finally have reached the acceptance stage of her Harvard grief. “You’re disappointed, you’re allowed to be, but just put it in perspective,” he urged her, sitting down on the edge of the bed facing her. “You’re not a failure, you’re just gonna take a different path to what you thought, that’s all. You’re still gonna make it. Be the great doctor or lawyer or whatever it is you end up wanting to be. You can do that. I know you can.”

It was the kind of rousing speech Jess got from Luke occasionally, that often resulted in him rolling his eyes or scoffing loudly. He knew what he was capable of, but when your parent or guardian told you in quite that way, Jess felt every teenager was obliged to look underwhelmed, whether they believed it or not. Paris was getting this talk from him, someone more on her level, and there was no way she didn’t know how smart she was, since she was usually the one telling everyone else. Sure, Harvard’s rejection had knocked the wind out of her, but she could come back from that. She could cope, with his help, Jess was sure.

“Maybe,” she said eventually, “but... Chilton expects me to go on to Harvard. Everybody knows it was the dream. The comments I’m going to have to endure when they find out I didn’t make it...”

“Hey, you can handle it,” Jess told her. “If anybody says anything, you can give as good as you get and we both know it. Besides, I’ll be there. Rory too,” he promised. “You gotta stop thinking it’s you against the world, Paris.”

“Huh!” she scoffed at that. “Yeah, ‘cause you’re great at taking help and advice.”

“I listen to you, don’t I?” he countered. “How dumb does that make me?”

He smirked when he said it, he couldn’t help it. When she smiled too, he knew they were on the same page. Neither one of them was good at taking help or criticism or any opinion that wasn’t their own, but they were learning, bit by bit. They helped each other, and then there was Rory, Luke, and Lorelai, all playing their parts.

Paris took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I’m not going to Harvard,” she said aloud. “I’m not going to Harvard,” she repeated, meeting Jess’ eyes. “I’m not going.”

Her voice shook and her eyes watered. Jess’ heart broke for her all over again, but they both had to be stronger than that.

“I’m not going to Harvard either,” he reminded her. “But... I don’t know, I might go to Yale?”

He hadn’t known for sure that it was something he wanted to do until he said it, but Jess found he didn’t hate the idea when it did occur to him.

“You wanna go to Yale?” Paris checked. “Mr I’m Too Cool For School?”

“Yes, that is me,” he dead-panned. “Hey, I applied, didn’t I? And for some insane reason I got in. Luke seems to think we can afford it, somehow, so why not?”

“It is a good school,” said Paris, giving the idea more consideration. “And I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing ever to be close to home, places I know, people I don’t hate,” she said, giving him a look.

“Don’t I feel special?” said Jess, a hand over his heart as he smiled. “C’mon, Paris, tell me you don’t love the idea of seeing me in college. It’ll be like a social science experiment of your very own.”

At that she couldn’t help but grin, at least for a minute, before another thought occurred to her.

“What about Rory?” she asked.

“What about her? She got into Harvard, I’m guessing that’s where she’ll go,” said Jess, looking anywhere but at his sister.

Wallowing in her own self-pity, Paris hadn’t considered what all this meant for him. Rory could follow her dream and go to Harvard yet, leaving both of them behind. It was entirely possible Jess would lose her in time. Paris hated that thought and felt sick just thinking about it. Not quite as sick as she did for herself in not being able to go to Harvard, but almost.

“So, you and me at the same college,” she said eventually. “Yale wouldn’t know what hit it.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Yeah.” Paris smiled then. “Yeah, me too.”


	27. Chapter 27

“And you’re sure about this?”

“Mom, for the four hundred and eighty seventh time, yes, I am absolutely sure,” said Rory, sounding just as exasperated as she felt on hearing that same question again. “It’s been three days now since I made the decision. We did all the pro-con lists, I discussed it with you, I discussed it with Jess and Paris, and the choice was made. I want to go to Yale.”

She knew she shouldn’t be so surprised that Lorelai was struggling with the concept of her going to a different school. Rory had been talking about going to Harvard for as long as she could remember, probably longer. It was always the dream, even if she couldn’t really explain why that was. Looking at it logically, she was just as lucky to get into Princeton or Yale and the education she gained in either place was bound to be equally as good. All three Ivy League schools had excellent facilities, great teachers, and Rory had to give them all due consideration. In the end, the decision was shockingly easy. The pro-con lists put Yale ahead by a mile, not least because it would mean that Rory was close to her family and friends. When she realised not only was her mom okay with it but that Paris and Jess were pretty much settled on going to Yale too, it was a done deal. Now all that was left to do was tell the grandparents.

“I just wanted to check one more time,” said Lorelai. “Because once you tell Richard and Emily there can be no back-tracking, no changing of the mind. This decision will be set in stone, like literally, a man will be in the corner with a chisel and a hammer putting it into granite so this precious, precious moment can be saved for all of eternity.”

“Wouldn’t a photograph or even video footage be better for that?” asked Rory, ringing the bell.

“Sure, if you want to be logical,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Besides, I’m pretty sure when I told Yale I accepted their offer, that was when the deal was done.”

“Oh, please!” Lorelai scoffed. “That could be undone way more easily than telling your grandparents you switched allegiance back to Harvard.”

Rory was prevented from arguing that point at all as the maid opened the door and ushered them inside. Their coats were barely off when a ringing started up in her purse and Rory scrambled to switch off her phone. She noticed as she did so that it was Luigi’s calling. That had to be about the world’s biggest pizza idea she had for her mom’s birthday, but now was so not the time to talk about it.

“Who was that?” asked Lorelai curiously. “There’s no way Jess is dumb enough to call you during Friday Night Dinner. He loves you too much to risk the public flogging that is the punishment for such a crime.”

“It was nobody,” she said quickly, as they moved through to the living room.

“Rory, Lorelai,” Richard greeted them happily. “Come in, sit down. I was just making drinks.”

“That’s great, Dad,” his daughter told him, taking a seat on the couch. “We should have something to toast with, because our Rory has an announcement to make, and this one you’re actually going to like!”

* * *

“You can stop smiling like that every time you look at me,” said Jess, looking sideways at Luke and noticing his uncle was grinning, again. “It’s weird.”

“You’d rather I was glaring at you? Maybe throwing things?” asked Luke, all full of sarcasm that Jess chose to ignore.

“Actually, yes,” he replied easily. “That would be closer to what I’m used to.”

Luke winced at those words and let Jess go when he walked away through the curtain behind the counter. He knew his nephew wasn’t accusing him of being a bad parental figure, but things had been very different with Liz and her many suitors, for lack of a better term. Jess had suffered too long in that kind of environment, and sure, he could joke about it now, but that didn’t make it right.

Looking around the diner at the distinct lack of customers, Luke slammed his hand down on the counter and turned towards the kitchen.

“Caesar, you’re in charge!” he called to the cook before hurrying up the stairs behind Jess.

Honestly, when he got there, Luke wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he felt the need to say something. It must’ve shown on his face that he didn’t know what that something was when he got into the apartment, because Jess called him on it.

“So, now what? Less proud, more mad again?”

“Jess.” Luke sighed, rubbing a hand across his forehead. “I’m not... I’m sorry,” he said eventually.

“For what?” his nephew asked, putting the book he had only just picked up to read onto the bed in front of him.

“For... everything,” Luke said eventually, adjusting his hat twice. “I just... You gotta understand that I had no idea how bad things got for you and your mom. I mean, she’s Liz, she was never going to be the world’s best mother. That’s not something I like to say about my sister, but it is what it is.”

“Ain’t that the truth?” Jess muttered.

“The point is, I probably should’ve done something sooner. I should’ve got you out of that situation, brought you here. I don’t know, something.”

“Did I say I wanted you to?” asked Jess, feeling a little confused by this whole conversation that seemed to have come entirely out of left field. “I didn’t need a hero to come save me, Luke. Not that I’m not grateful for the whole letting me come live with you thing after Lizzie’s last marriage fell apart, plus all this cash you’re spending... I’m grateful,” he stated for the record. “But I’m not crying over the fact you didn’t swoop in sooner, okay?”

“I know that.” Luke nodded, dragging over a chair to sit by Jess’ bed. “See, the thing is, I just think you deserve this, y’know? You deserved better when you were a little kid, and I’m trying here. I’m trying to make up for some of that by getting you into Chilton and being supportive of you going to Yale. I don’t want you to have the life me and Liz had. I want better for you.”

Jess looked everywhere but at his uncle. Possibly the only thing tougher to handle than letting Paris be his sister all the time, was letting Luke be the kind of parent he had always dreamed of but never dared to hope he would ever actually have. Luke was his uncle, but he wanted to do everything a dad should. All types of support were accounted for, from financial to emotional, and everything in between. Jess never had that until he came here, and no matter how long it lasted, he never seemed to get used to it or learn how to deal with it.

“For what it’s worth, I want better for me too,” he admitted, looking down at where his fingers picked at a loose thread on the blanket. “Not that I think things are so bad for you. You got your own business and everything, a girlfriend, friends. You’re not doing so bad.”

“No, I guess I’m not,” Luke agreed. “But you can do so much, Jess. You’ve got the kind of brains to be a lawyer or a doctor or whatever you want to be, and I’m not saying you have to be one of those things, but at least this way you’re not wasting your potential. So many doors will be open to you because of Chilton and Yale. I can’t help it, that thought makes me very happy for you.”

Jess appreciated the sentiment, he genuinely did, he just didn’t know how to say or show it too well. It was still so strange to have people who cared this much. With Paris at least it was a two way thing. She needed him as much as he needed her most of the time. Luke just wanted to be the good guy, the father figure. Jess never came close to having a dependable adult in his life before. Even after more than eighteen months of Luke being there for him, and coming on for a year of living with him, Jess just hadn’t quite gotten used to this yet.

“I’m sorry too,” he said eventually, echoing Luke’s original sentiment from a few minutes ago. “I guess I’m just not used to the whole being proud of me thing. Y’know, people actually wanting me to be all I can be, or whatever,” he said, rolling his eyes. “It’s not your fault.”

Luke nodded that he understood and laid a hand on Jess’ shoulder.

“You did good, kid,” he told him definitely. “Get used to people telling you that’s a great thing, ‘cause I’m pretty sure its going to happen a lot in your life.”

Jess smiled at that, he couldn’t help it.

“Thanks, Uncle Luke,” he said, without sarcasm or irony of any kind. “I mean it.”

“You’re welcome, son.”

* * *

“I still can’t believe it,” said Lorelai as she Rory came into the diner. “I mean, I knew they were going to be psyched about the whole Yale thing, that was a given, but then for Dad to pull me into his office and hand me that cheque? Wow!”

“You two look weirdly happy given where you just came from,” said Luke, going over to the table where the girls were now sat.

“Check this out,” said Lorleai, handing him a folded piece of paper from her purse. “I am practically a Rockerfeller, darling.”

Luke let out a whistle as he read the figure on the cheque in his hands.

“Seventy five thousand dollars?” he said in a low voice, mindful of the other customers hearing. “Where did you get this?”

“It’s mine,” Lorelai explained. “Apparently, my father invested some money in my name the day I was born, and now, on the occasion of my birthday - or close enough - I am worth this much money!” she said, plucking the cheque from his hands and displaying it proudly. “I’m rich, baby cakes!” she said, grinning all over her face.

Luke was trying to work through the shock and was about to question the choice of nickname that Lorelai just used for him when her cell rang loudly. Consulting the screen, she declared it was Sookie, and Luke pointing towards the door actually worked this time as she hurried outside to take her call.

“Wow!” he said, shaking his head as he thought again of the huge number on the cheque she just showed him.

“I know,” Rory agreed. “As birthday gifts go it’s kind of a doozy. It’s going to blow my whole world’s largest pizza idea right out of the water.”

“No, of course it won’t. It couldn’t,” Luke assured her. “Your mom will love that, mostly because you thought of it. Money’s great, but it’s the thoughtful things that really count,” he promised.

“I like to think so,” Rory agreed with a smile.

Luke smiled back and then gestured towards the counter.

“I’ll go get you two some coffee to start and then you can order when your mom gets back.”

“Sounds good.”

His plan was a little derailed when he turned and found Jess heading over with two mugs and the coffee pot, so he left his nephew to deal with drinks for the Gilmore girls instead.

“Hey,” said Jess, kissing Rory hello before pouring the coffee. “You okay?”

“Better than okay,” she assured him. “Grandpa was so happy about me going to Yale. Grandma too, actually.”

“Your grandma was happy? As in she actually smiled?” Jess checked. “Huh. I thought they’d have to use electrodes.”

“Probably on you,” she told him, smirking the way he usually did.

“Ouch!” he replied, though he was smiling too - it was a pretty decent burn. “Y’know Luke is practically giddy about me going to college,” he said then, rolling his eyes like it was just so tiresome. “I guess it doesn’t suck to have someone actually care about that kind of thing, but he’s a little overly smiley for my taste.”

“He’ll calm down when the novelty wears off,” Rory assured him. “Honestly? I don’t exactly hate that you’ll be there with me this Fall. Pretty sure Paris is happy enough for three people too. She really bounced back after the whole Harvard thing.”

“Be grateful you didn’t see her last weekend,” Jess advised. “It was not pretty.”

“But big brother fixed everything,” said Rory, reaching for him and pulling him down into the seat beside her, her arms around his neck. “Did I tell you how great I think you are for being there for her like that?”

“Remind me how that went again,” he urged her, happy enough when she pulled him into a kiss.

They parted pretty fast when the door opened and Lorelai returned then. She pretended not to notice the embrace then thanked Jess for her coffee, sitting down at the table and taking a long drink from her cup.

“What did I miss?” she asked Rory, as Jess excused himself back to the counter. “Apart from the tongue action.”

“Not much,” Rory promised, ignoring the pointed comment. “Is Sookie okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Lorelai assured her. “Just inn stuff. There’s still so much to do to fix the place up post-fire, but hey, we’ll get there.”

“I know you will.” Rory smiled. “And hey, lots to look forward to. Somebody has a birthday coming up.”

“Oh yeah, baby!” Lorelai declared, doing a happy chair-dance, which stopped abruptly when Luke arrived back at the table. “Wow, that look should be on a greeting card,” she told him, sarcasm in full evidence.

“What do you want to eat, Crazy Lady?” he asked her.

“Hmm,” she said thoughtfully, putting her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand, leaning his way some. “How ‘bout something that comes with a side order of sugar?” she suggested, pouting deliberately.

Luke rolled his eyes but nevertheless leant down to kiss her briefly on the lips.

“How about you actually order some food now and we’ll talk about the rest later?” he offered.

“Ooh, promises, promises!” she said, giggling like a girl half her age. “What do you say, babe?” she asked Rory then. “Burgers and fries?”

“Sounds good,” she agreed, making the order official.

Luke walked away to get their food and Lorelai suddenly squealed out of nowhere, clapping her hands together madly.

“We’ve got seventy five thousand dollars!” she told Rory happily. “Best Friday Night Dinner ever!”

“I’ll drink to that!” Rory laughed, lifting her coffee mug to clink against her mother’s own.

This week really had turned out pretty good in the end.


	28. Chapter 28

“Well, it certainly is nice to have such a full table tonight,” said Richard, smiling at the assembled guests for Friday Night Dinner.

“I, for one, am flattered to have been asked along,” Paris told him genuinely. “Richard, Emily, your extending this invitation to me was beyond the call of the usual society manners. I appreciate that effort you’ve made,” she told them, before digging right into her dinner.

Jess looked across the table at Rory and tried his best not to smirk, though it was clear he was finding it difficult. Lorelai was staring at Emily, openly grinning at the landed fish expression on her mother’s face and enjoying it way too much. Luke was just eating and hoping nobody asked him anything or made any comment he was required to have an opinion on.

“I’m sure you’re quite welcome, Paris,” said Emily after a while. “And thank you,” she added, looking as if she wasn’t quite sure if she was supposed to be grateful or insulted.

When Lorelai opened her mouth to make some comment about it, Luke knocked her elbow with his own and shot her a warning look the moment he had her attention. This dinner was not fun for him, she knew, and she had promised not to make it any more painful than it needed to be. With a heaving sigh, she started to eat too, letting her clever comments remain unsaid.

“I suppose you young people are quite looking forward to the end of your high school careers,” said Richard then. “From what I hear from Hanlin, the race for valedictorian is a close call.”

“Being valedictorian isn’t everything,” said Rory, glancing up in time to see Paris roll her eyes.

“Says the one person that might actually beat me to the title.”

“I’m sure your parents are extremely proud of you, Paris,” said Emily then. “Valedictorian or not, just to be in that top percentage is quite the achievement you know.”

“I don’t deny that I’ll be happy enough in just graduating from a school like Chilton with the GPA I currently have,” said Paris definitely. “But unfortunately, my family really pay very little attention to my achievements. I wasn’t afforded the firm bedrock of an upbringing, with the solid pillars of grandparents that the two of you clearly are to Rory.”

“What a wonderful description, Paris,” said Richard with a smile. “I thank you for it. I rather like the idea of being a pillar, holding up our Rory in all her endeavours.”

“You’ve definitely made a big difference.” Rory nodded. “Everybody at this table has made a difference. I wouldn’t have got this far without any one of you.”

She was speaking of everyone but she was smiling at her mom and Jess most of all. Rory meant every word. She really did believe everyone here had such a positive influence on her, and though she tried not to make a big deal, she was pretty sure she would get valedictorian. Paris’ scores had dropped just a little of late. Somewhere between dating Jamie, not getting into Harvard, and leraning not to be quite such a school-focused freak under her brother’s tutelage, Paris has slipped just a little bit and Rory had gone out in front with the higher GPA. It certainly wasn’t a bad feeling.

Conversation took several turns after that, covering topics as diverse as the weather, Richard’s work, Luke’s diner, and everybody’s summer plans. Once again, Rory and Lorelai’s trip to Europe was a bone of contention, but it didn’t take long for Paris to change the subject and rant for a good twenty minutes about the pitiful lack of good housekeeping staff these days.

“Geez, when will it ever end?” Jess muttered to Rory, who tried not to laugh.

“I’m not deaf, Mariano. I can hear you,” Paris told him, but at least it stopped her talking.

“Well, how about now everybody hears me?” said Lorelai, literally raising her hand. “I, er... Well, I kind of have an announcement, and a gift, kind of,” she said, realising at the last how inarticulate that was. “Um, okay,” she ended lamely, moving from her seat to hover near her mother. “This is for you.”

Emily looked confused by the non-descript envelope being pushed into her hand but nevertheless accepted it with thanks and opened it up. Rory had a death grip on Jess’ hand by now, and Lorelai was looking at Luke for a confidence-boosting smile, which he dutifully provided.

“Now, before you say anything,” Lorelai hurriedly said when she saw her mother’s eyes narrow, “I want to explain. This money is to pay you back for Rory’s schooling. I promised you would get the money back for Chilton and here it is but - and this is a really big and important but, we’re talking J Lo here, or we would be if you had a clue who that was,” said Lorelai, shaking her head. “Okay, anyway, just because I’m paying you back does not meant that Friday Night Dinners are over,” she told her mom and dad both. “I know the original deal was that for as long as I owed you guys money then we had to come to dinner, but it’s different now, isn’t it?”

“Is it?” asked Emily, her expression unreadable.

“Mom, you know it is,” said Lorelai desperately.

“We love to come see you, Grandma,” added Rory. “Both of you, you know that.”

“Yes, I’m sure we do,” said Richard, finding a smile. “I must admit it would be quite strange if your weekly visits were to cease.”

“I don’t want that to happen, Dad,” Lorelai insisted. “And yeah, there are Fridays when maybe driving to Hartford isn’t the most convenient thing. Some weeks maybe a different night would be good, or there could be the occasional week when we don’t come over, but I don’t... I don’t want things to be like they were before. Only seeing you guys at Christmas or whatever. This is better, isn’t it?”

Everybody was waiting for Emily’s reaction. It could be anything, as Lorelai knew better than most. Maybe she would be happy to have her money back, but more likely she would be mad at having her power taken away. There could be a fall out here and it may not be pretty. Honestly, it was part of the reason why she and Rory hadn’t minded too much when Luke and Jess were invited to dinner, and then Paris too. In front of such company, Emily was less likely to create a scene, at least, Lorelai hoped so.

“Very well,” she said eventually. “I’m sure there can be some flexibility on dinners in the circumstances. I’m sure I should never want to inconvenience anyone.”

Jess bit back a smirk and Rory knew her mom would be laughing or even arguing that point if she wasn’t so relieved.

“Thanks, Mom,” she said instead, reaching a tentative hand out to take her mother’s own. “For everything, thank you.”

The two women shared a smile and Rory heaved a sigh of relief, leaning into Jess whose hand she still had a tight hold on. She really, really did not want anyone to fall out, over money or otherwise. It was so much better when everybody just got along. If only such a thing were possible all of the time.

“Wow, and I thought my family was awkward,” said Paris, in what ought to be a muttered tone to Luke, but it was clear the whole group heard her. “Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m impressed at your acceptance when your daughter and granddaughter have clearly chosen men that you would never consider to be in their social class,” she continued, looking directly at a startled Emily and Richard. “Still, times are changing, am I right? The world is not as it once was. We live in a society that likely gave my place at Harvard to Kate Hudson just because she’s been in a movie, whilst I, Paris Gellar, fourth generation to have applied to the school, was denied entry and must now attend Yale.”

“Well, Yale is a fine school, Paris” Richard told her quickly. “You know it was my own alma mater.”

“That is some comfort, Richard. Thank you,” she told him, taking a long drink from her glass of soda. “But, if I may...”

Without waiting to be granted any sort of permission to go forward, Paris launched into one of her rant-filled speeches that were by now legendary. Jess sat back in his seat and just enjoyed the show, encouraging the others to do the same.

“I’ll come to dinner here every other night if we can always, always bring Paris,” said Lorelai in a low voice.

“Amen, sister-friend,” Rory agreed with a grin.

* * *

It was Saturday, and the band had a gig. Lane was very excited about her first chance to show a portion of Stars Hollow's young people how well she could actually play drums, and to launch her career as a musician. Sure, the band had no name and they were only playing a keg party for a guy whose parents were out of town, but it was better than nothing. Rory was happy for her, and for Dave and the guys. She promised to help with Lane’s hair and make-up, and even to announce the band if they would like her to.

“You’re coming to the party, right?” she double-checked with Jess as they sat across a table from each other at the diner that afternoon. “I just realised I didn’t actually ask you that.”

“I don’t know.” Jess shook his head. “Isn’t Luke taking out Lorelai tonight? He probably needs me to cover here.”

“No!” Rory complained loudly. “My mother cannot have a date at the detriment of my social life. We haven’t been out together in forever!”

“We’ve stayed in a lot,” Jess noted with a smirk.

“Yes, and that is fun too,” she admitted, blushing furiously. “But what is the point in having a boyfriend as good looking as you and never getting to show you off to the world?”

She was at least half-joking and they all knew it, though Jess appreciated the compliment either way. He wasn’t exactly heart-broken to not be able to go to some dumb party at the house of a guy he never met, to hear a band he could care less about. Still, he knew what it meant to Rory, and he really did hate to disappoint her.

“I say enjoy yourself while you have the chance,” said Paris, eyes never leaving the page in front of her as she drew a perfectly straight line with the aid of a ruler. “We have a lot of study ahead of us. Finals are right around the corner. Save for Prom, it is all uphill now until graduation, people.”

“Don’t we know it?” Jess rolled his eyes. “It’s not that I’m trying to get out of this party anyway, but if I have to work-”

“Oh for God’s sake!” Paris all but exploded then. “Luke?” she called as he passed by their table, plates in his hands. “Is Jess required to work tonight?”

“Er, yeah. I have a date with Lorelai, you know that,” he said, looking from Paris to Jess.

“Does it have to be Jess specifically?” she checked then. “Because he and Rory have plans and I’m willing to step into the breach on this occasion.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Paris.” Luke shook his head. “I mean, you helped out before, I know, but this would be different. Some of the time it’d just be you on your own, with Caeser in the kitchen, obviously, but still-”

“I attend Chilton. I got into Yale and Princeton. I have an IQ with a third digit, which outranks half of this crack-pot town. I think I can run a diner for a couple of hours by myself,” she said snippily.

Luke looked from her to Jess and saw his nephew shrug. He clearly figured the diner was safe in Paris’ hands, and Luke had learnt to trust Jess’ judgement, at least as far as this kind of thing went.

“Um, okay?” he said warily. “I guess if it’s just for a couple of hours. Thank you, Paris. I think,” he ended, muttering the last couple of words as he headed off to serve his customers.

“Another problem solved,” said Paris happily. “You’re welcome,” she told Rory, going back to her papers.

“Thanks, Paris.”

“Don’t thank me yet” she advised, suddenly handing one of her many pieces of paper to Rory and another to Jess. “Like I said, we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

“Aaw, geez!” Jess protested, looking from the page in his hand to Paris and back again. “Are you kidding?”

He already knew she wasn’t. It seemed Paris had been making up schedules for them all, fitting in school and work with large amounts of time set aside for group study, private study, pop quizzes, practice tests. He would love to tell her she was cracked, that he was not going to live his life to her timetable, and that she had gone too far - again. Unfortunately, Jess could already see that Rory was approving of the system and even making plans to add more study time into her own version of the schedule. Besides, with finals coming up, Chilton being as strict as it was, and Luke putting so much faith in him, Jess knew he really shouldn’t slack off at all, however much he was tempted. He already cut his hours at Wal-Mart and now it looked as if he might have to give up that job altogether, at least for the time being.

“Great,” he muttered to himself. “This is my life now.”

“You better believe it, buster!” said Paris with a grin. “Enjoy the freedom of your party tonight. It might be the last you get for a while.”


	29. Chapter 29

Jess hadn’t really expected to enjoy the party at Kyle’s house. For one thing, he couldn’t have picked Kyle out of a line up. The band were okay, whatever their name was. Jess knew the guys and they were cool, but Lane spent quite a while freaking out about not being good enough, and then a little more time freaking out about her fake Korean boyfriend liking her too much and Dave maybe not liking her enough. All in all, it meant that Rory spent a lot of time with her friend and a lot less time with Jess. When he finally got his girlfriend back by his side, Rory was eager to dance, to talk to old friends from Stars Hollow High that she hadn’t seen in a while, to make a point of being cool about talking to Dean and his new girlfriend, Lindsay. Jess could stand it, but he could think of better ways to spend his time. He smiled politely, danced a little, and even managed to keep his Dean-related insults down too dull roar for Rory’s sake, but then he was ready to call it a night.

“We’re reaching the point where I’d actually rather be working than be here now,” he told Rory perhaps a little too honestly. “Can't we just go back to your place?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head vehemently. “No way. There’s a good chance that’s where Mom and Luke will go for... post-date activities,” she said pointedly, trying not to make a face and failing miserably.

“Okay, then let’s go back to the apartment,” he suggested, with a look that was unmistakable.

“Jess, I am not going to do anything remotely... intimate with you,” she said, blushing furiously, “with Paris right downstairs. You really want a person you consider your sister to hear any of that?”

“On second thoughts, let’s stay here,” he said, sitting down very suddenly in an arm chair and pulling Rory down with him. “Who knew a room full of people could be more private than going home?” he said, kissing her soundly.

Nobody paid any mind since most people were equally as distacted by their own boyfriends and girlfriends at this point. Rory felt a little weird about making out amongst a bunch of other people all engaged in the same activity, but she supposed it didn't really matter. She got lost in the moment for a little bit, until she suddenly heard a crash and a familiar voice apologising repeatedly.

“Lane?” she checked, pulling away from Jess. 

Rory was up from her boyfriend’s lap and rushing away in a second. Jess gave chase, wondering what could possibly have happened now. They found Lane in the kitchen, scrabbling around on the floor to pick up things she had clearly knocked flying from the counter.

“Sorry, sorry!” she repeated over and over to the cups and forks in her hands. “Rory! Jess!” she cried happily when she saw them. “Are you having a good time at the party? I am!” she declared, lurching forward.

Jess caught her seconds before she hit the tile and tried to right her.

“Wow. Did you drink the whole keg by yourself?” he asked, smelling nothing but beer on her.

“Oh, Lane,” Rory sighed. “Why would you do this?”

When her friend started crying, Jess was quick to hand her over. Rory wrapped her arms around Lane as she sobbed and explained how everything was ruined. Jess watched the scene, knowing there was no way this evening was ever going to end as he would like it to now. Running a hand back through his hair, he made a decision.

“Let’s get her back to the diner, get some coffee into her,” he said, not sure why he was playing knight in shining armour for his girlfriend's BFF, internally blaming Luke for influencing him into wanting to save everyone the way he did himself. “If Mrs Kim sees her like this, I’m pretty sure all our lives are over.”

Getting Lane into the car wasn’t too bad, but Jess was concerned his interiors were going to be smelling like puke if he didn’t drive carefully or quickly enough. Thankfully, Lane made it to the diner before the worst happened and she threw up spectacularly in the dumpster. Rory stayed with her, whilst Jess went inside to brew up even stronger coffee than would be available for the general public. He found the diner was practically empty, just one older couple in a corner, and the reverend working on his sermon by the counter. Paris was stood by another table, clearing away a single cup and looking at what might have been a wallet in her other hand.

“Hey, what’s up with you?” Jess asked her. “You look like you just saw a ghost?”

Paris turned slowly to look at him, eyes dodging back and forth between the wallet she held and Jess’ face. Eventually, she shook her head.

“Not a ghost,” she confirmed, pulling the ID free from the wallet and holding it out for him to take.

Jess was equal parts intrigued and annoyed as he he came over and picked the card out of Paris’ hand to look at it. The man in the picture staring back at him looked just vaguely familar and then he read the name alongside it.

Jimmy Mariano.

“Huh.”

* * *

Lane had told her mother she was spending the evening with Rory, which was not a complete lie. It made it easy then for Paris to call Mrs Kim and advise that she had invited Lane to stay over at her house, if that would be okay. The fact Rory was there too was implied not stated, so it wasn’t really a lie. Not that Rory suspected for a moment that Paris would have any problem lying if it suited her. She took the recovering Lane home with her to keep her out of any more trouble than she might already be in, leaving Rory alone with a still shocked Jess.

His father had been in the diner, just moments before they arrived. Rory couldn’t believe it and was pretty sure Jess felt the same. He had been sat at the table, in the seat that Jimmy had occupied before, staring at the wallet belonging to his father, for a full half hour. He hardly spoke at all. Rory offered to get him a drink, even an alcoholic one if she could find it, since he had clearly suffered a shock, but Jess didn’t want anything. She was all for giving him time to process, but quite honestly, Rory just wanted him to speak now, to move, to blink even, just so she knew he was okay.

“Jess?” she prompted, her hand covering his on the table.

“This is so weird,” he said at least. “I never really thought about it, y’know? Like what if he came to find me some day? When I was a kid I thought about it a lot. I never said anything, but I’d think maybe it’d be cool if he showed up, took me away from the life I had with Liz. Sometimes I was just mad at him for running out the way he did, even if I did totally get it. I mean, you’ve met Liz. Not the easiest person to live with.”

Rory didn’t know what to say so she chose to say nothing, just nodded along and let Jess continue for as long as he wanted to.

“I don’t know why he’d come find me now, if that’s even why he’s here. It’s gotta be, right? I mean, who comes to Stars Hollow for the sights?”

“Probably no-one,” Rory agreed when he looked at her for an answer. “The only attraction for him is going to be you, I guess.”

Jess nodded his agreement but said nothing else. It got the better of Rory in the end. She just had to ask the one question that wouldn’t leave her mind.

“So, do you... Do you wanna meet him?”

There was no immediate answer from Jess. She wondered if he even knew what he wanted right now. This had to be such a complete shock. Whatever answer he might have given, there was no chance for him to process it. The door rattled with an attempt to enter and Rory moved quickly to let Luke and Lorelai in. They looked understandably confused by the Closed sign, and then concerned by the serious look on Jess’ face.

“What happened?” asked Luke.

“We had a visitor,” his nephew told him, handing the wallet over.

Luke’s eyes went wide.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“That’s no joke,” Jess confirmed as Lorelai peered over Luke’s shoulder to see.

For once, she said nothing. This really wasn’t any business of hers, even if she did have an opinion on it already. Jimmy Mariano was a heel, or so Luke said. Ran out the day Jess was born and never looked back. Christopher hadn’t exactly been the best father in the world to Rory, but he had offered to marry Lorelai in the beginning and stand by her. She said no, she chose to be apart from him. Liz and Jess hadn’t been given a choice. Now it seemed maybe there was a decision to be made. From the way Jess and Rory were telling it, Jimmy had come in when Paris was holding the fort and left before they arrived back from the party. That meant Jess still hadn’t met his father, but he could, if he wanted to.

“We’ll find out where he’s staying,” said Luke forcefully, “I will take his wallet to him and I will tell him where he can go, because if he thinks-”

“No,” Jess cut in, only just loud enough to be heard. “Luke, I know you think you’re being the good uncle here, but don’t, please,” he said, giving him a look. “I don’t want you to do that.”

Luke was astounded and it showed on his face.

“You don’t think he deserves to be told what an ass he is for what he did to you?”

“Maybe,” Jess considered. “But don’t I deserve to be the one to tell him that?” he countered. “After waiting eighteen years to meet the guy, I think I have the right to say whatever I want for myself.”

“The kid has a point,” Lorelai ventured when it seemed as if Luke could go either way in his reply. “Or rather the point is that he’s not so much a kid anymore, I guess,” she said thoughtfully.

“What do you wanna do, Jess?” Rory asked, as Luke turned away from he scene.

The honest answer to that was that he didn’t know, but Jess would feel stupid saying as much as they all knew it. He should know if he wanted to meet his father. Actually, he was fairly certain that he did know, that he did want to look Jimmy in the eye and ask him what the hell he was doing here after all this time. The problem was Luke. The guy had been there for him like a father should, and Jess couldn’t appreciate that more. To go against what he wanted over Jimmy seemed wrong, but it was what he wanted to do. He needed to.

“If you wanna meet the guy, Jess, you’re right, it is your decision,” said Luke eventually. “You’re old enough to know what you wanna do. I can’t stop you. I won’t try.”

It was a relief to Jess to hear those words. Once they were said, he could speak freely about his decision without the concern that somebody was going to get mad.

“Thanks,” he told Luke. “Honestly, I do wanna meet him. I need to, I think. I don’t actually know what I wanna say or anything but... Yeah, I think I have to talk to him.”

“He has to be staying in town,” Lorelai considered. “I know people at all the inns and guest houses, it would only take a couple of calls to find him,” she said, excusing herself outside the door, cell phone already in hand.

It seemed the wheels had been put in motion. Before the night was over, Jess Mariano was going to meet his father for the very first time. He honestly wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

* * *

Paris wasn’t good at not knowing things. She liked to have all the information, like all people with inquiring minds. She wouldn’t say she was nosey exactly, but she probably was. Mostly, she was just concerned for Jess, though she wasn’t about to tell him that. It was probably a little too early on a Sunday to be dragging Lane into the car and driving her home, and definitely too early to go bugging her brother about what happened last night with his father, but Paris couldn’t help herself.

Jess saw her coming through the diner window and came out to meet her in the street.

“I’m guessing you wanna know what happened with Jimmy,” he said, glancing back at the diner where he knew Luke was watching them.

“You think you know me so well,” said Paris, rolling her eyes, and yet she couldn’t deny he was right. “Was it okay? Do I need to go kick his ass or anything?”

“Stand down, Pink Ranger,” Jess advised with a smirk he couldn’t help. “Let’s walk,” he said then, urging her to go.

They were headed nowhere in particular, but Paris understood why they were going. Luke didn’t approve of Jimmy, it had been mentioned before. No doubt he wasn't a fan of Jess’ father being back in his life and it was easier to talk about this away from the protective uncle, as well as other prying eyes and ears. People thought Paris didn't understand tact, when in fact she knew exactly how it worked, she just thought it was a waste of energy most of the time.

“So, Jimmy is... He’s cool,” Jess explained as they walked along together. “He’s not like I pictured at all. A lot of the stories my mom told painted him like a cartoon villain. I almost expected a black cloak and maniacal laughter,” he explained with a wry smile. “She had other stories, from when they were young, our age, I guess. Then he sounded a lot like me. He is a lot like me, just older.”

“Then he can’t be so bad,” said Paris with a smirk she learnt from Jess himself. “So, did he tell you why he suddenly showed up?”

“He wanted to see me. I don’t know what took him so long. From what he said, I’m not even sure he knows.” Jess shrugged, hands deep in his pockets as they crossed the street and continued on to nowhere in particular. “I was in the same room as him for over an hour and I think we said maybe a dozen things to each other.”

“Well, you’re not exactly the chatty type. Maybe you get that from your father,” said Paris, only half-joking. “You sure as hell don’t get your monosyllabic tendencies from Mommy Dearest.”

“Hey, I’d talk more if you ever stopped for breath,” he countered, not unkindly.

“Ha, ha. You’re hilarious,” she dead-panned. “God, if you hadn’t had a traumatic experience last night, I’d leave right now.”

“And that’d be a shame.”

When she looked at Jess she saw humour in his expression, but truth in his eyes. He was messing around because that was what they did. They teased each other like siblings would, but underneath it all, they cared. She came here to find out what happened but not just to have all the information, more so because she was worried for her brother.

“Seriously though, are you okay?” she checked then.

“I’ll live.” Jess nodded.

“Good to know. I kind of got used to having you around.”

“Yeah, me too. Jimmy offered me the chance to visit with him... in LA.”

“He offered you a free trip to California?”

“He didn’t say he was paying for the flight or anything, but I guess I’d be staying with him, and Sasha and Lily. That’s his girlfriend and her daughter.”

“Wow.” Paris looked genuinely surprised and Jess didn’t wonder at it after all he had told her in the past about his supposed dead-beat absentee father. “He settled down. Maybe that’s what had him yearning to see how his offspring turned out.”

“Maybe.”

“So, are you going?”

“Always with the journalistic instinct.” Jess rolled his eyes. “Rory should take tips from you. Honestly? I don’t know. Summer’s right around the corner. Rory’s going to Europe. It’s not the worst idea in the world.”

Paris knew she shouldn’t feel hurt that he hadn’t considered leaving her behind when he crossed the country for a vacation with Daddy. Jess owed her nothing, not really. They had each other's back, they cared, that was the truth, but if he wanted to know a piece of his real blood family better, she couldn’t really complain. Hell, she had two parents in her life all this time and neither was altogether interested. Jimmy might be eighteen years too late, but at least he had made an effort now. A cross-country effort no less.

“Y’know I appreciate you coming over,” said Jess then, stopping walking and turning to face Paris. “Means a lot.”

“What are sisters for?” she asked, smiling in spite of herself. “I mean, I know our parents were only married a really short time, and apparently my father was far from Liz’s first trip into matrimony, but I just can’t seem to help caring what happens to you. I’m still half-convinced I suffered some kind of head trauma around the time you arrived here or something. How else could I possibly explain it?”

“Maybe they banged our heads together, because I don’t have an explanation either,” said Jess honestly. “I guess it just doesn’t suck having one person I can call family that doesn’t run away from me at the first sign of trouble.”

“Same here,” she agreed. “Except for me there doesn’t even have to be any trouble for the people to start running.”

As the two of them turned back towards the diner and the spot where Paris had parked her car, Jess threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a brief side-ways hug. They didn’t need to say anymore today, they both knew where they stood, and if that didn’t prove that they were born to be brother and sister, nothing ever could.


	30. Chapter 30

Time seemed to pass like a whirlwind in the weeks that followed. Rory found she spent most of her time studying, either by herself or with Jess and Paris. Finals were everything and needed so much attention if they were all going to pass and go to Yale. Rory wasn’t sure if she was nervous or excited or freaked out about the prospect of college. All she did know was that it felt a lot less scary every time she remembered that she would have Jess and Paris right there with her, at a school that wasn’t so far from home.

In amongst the stress came one event after another. A miracle happened and Mrs. Kim agreed to let Dave take Lane to her Senior Prom. A tragedy happened when Fran Weston died, but the silver lining to that particularly dark cloud was that Lorelai and Sookie had a chance to buy the Dragonfly. A very strange occurrence followed as Dean and Lindsay got engaged.

“Seriously, this month deserves the ‘weirdest in the calendar’ award,” said Rory, as Lorelai worked on fixing her hair for her. “It’s like everything has happened all at once and none of it makes any sense!”

“I’ll agree with that,” her mother said distractedly, pinning up a final curl. “And I think we’re done here. Take a look, hon,” she said, urging her daughter to turn towards the mirror.

The sight that met Rory’s eyes was amazing to her. It seemed wrong to consider herself beautiful, but her mom had done an incredible job on her hair and make-up, and an even more impressive effort had gone into the dress Rory was wearing tonight. There had definitely been a lot of crazy going on these past few weeks, but tonight was all out special. Rory and Jess, and Paris and Jamie, were all headed out to the Chilton Prom, and it was going to be amazing.

“Mom, thank you!” said Rory, admiring her dress and hairstyle in the mirror. “This is... Not wanting to go all cliché or anything, but I feel like a princess.”

“How else is a girl supposed to feel on prom night?” asked Lorelai, hugging her close. “You just have the best time tonight, okay, hon? You deserve it.”

Rory did her best not to tear up, knowing she would ruin her makeup if she did. Her mom meant so much to her, and she just did so much for her. It made her feel bad about before and she couldn’t help but mention it one more time, even though Lorelai had insisted she should let it go.

“You’re sure you’re not still mad about the money thing?”

“Rory, it’s fine,” she insisted. “Do I love that you committed yourself to the rigid structure of Friday Night Dinners again by borrowing money from my parents for Yale? No, I don’t,” she admitted. “But I know you had good reasons. You made a sacrifice for me and I appreciate the gesture, even if I think you might be a little crazy for doing it.”

“All the best people are crazy,” Rory insisted, eyes smiling as much as her mouth was.

“You bet they are, kid,” Lorelai agreed, hugging her tight one more time and kissing her forehead.

A car on the gravel outside caught their attention and Lorelai rushed to the window.

“It’s Luke and Jess,” she said, grinning. “Now, you wait here, just like we talked about.”

Rory groaned and complained but did as she was told, walking a few paces around her mom’s bedroom and watching her dress catch the light. It really was beautiful. Lorelai was an amazing seamstress, no doubt about that. Of course Rory thought it was a little nutty that her mom insisted that getting ready for Prom took place in her room upstairs rather than Rory’s own room downstairs, purely so she could do the cliché teen movie stairway entrance in her dress. 

“Rory! Your date is here!” Lorelai called from the living room.

Jess winced at the volume, but didn’t say anything. Mostly he was happy that Lorelai hadn’t made too big of a deal about the sight of him in a tux. Luke already did every joke under the sun, twice. Of course, Jess stopped caring about what he looked like or how much this night might potentially suck the second he caught sight of Rory. She was a vision in a flowing gown that sparkled in the light and showed every possible shade of blue as she descended the staircase like a princess. Jess didn’t realise he had his mouth open until Luke slapped him on the back and told him so.

“Wow!” he said as Rory reached his side. “You look... incredible,” he decided on eventually.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she told him happily. “Very handsome.”

“They are a beautiful couple,” Lorelai told Luke. “Okay, picture time!”

Jess was back to wincing as he was forced to pose for at least five photographs, before mercifully the limo arrived and he and Rory could leave. The couple hurried out to the car, in which Paris was already yelling for them or move their asses and Jamie was looking amused about his girlfriend’s behaviour.

Luke and Lorelai waved them off from the porch. They had plans for a night in whilst the kids were out having fun, something they were probably looking forward to just as much as the teens were looking forward to their prom. In spite of the enjoyment planned for the evening, Luke couldn’t help but notice Lorelai seemed a little sad. She sighed and let her head drop onto his shoulder.

“You okay?” he checked, kissing her hair.

“Sure, yeah,” she confirmed, staring after the limo yet. “Rory mentioned the money from her grandparents again,” she said with a further sigh.

Luke hated that anything was making her unhappy, it just didn’t sit right with him.

“Y’know, if you really don’t want them involved again, I could help out,” he offered. “I’m not saying I could cover it all, I have Jess’ tuition to pay also, but I could pitch in for Rory, or for the inn so you had a little extra. Whatever you need.”

Lorelai lifted her head off his shoulder to look at Luke. He meant it. She never suspected for a moment that Luke would ever say anything to her that he didn’t absolutely mean, but this was a big deal. She knew he had money squirreled away, and he probably could help her out if she let him. As it was, she couldn’t accept. He was her boyfriend, it would make things way too awkward if she started accepting a loan like that, but the fact he would offer meant so much.

Luke was always there for her, even before they started dating. She tried to be there for him too, but he was the rock in their relationship, steadfast and reliable. He was always trying to make things the best they could be, for Lorelai, for Rory, for Jess. He really was the most amazing man and Lorelai knew in that moment more than any other that she loved him, completely and absolutely, and always would.

“Luke, will you marry me?”

* * *

The decorating committee for the Chilton Prom had really gone all out. The venue was beautiful, covered in lights and streamers and such. The music actually didn’t suck, and Rory didn’t have quite so much trouble getting Jess to dance as she thought she would. They talked with some of their friends and class-mates, laughed at those they didn’t care for however unkind it might be, and generally had a great time.

In the middle of the dance floor, slow dancing in her boyfriend’s arms, Rory was sure she had never been happier and said as much to Jess.

“Tonight is so great, better than I even expected,” she confessed. “I mean, yes, I would’ve probably preferred the Stars Hollow High Prom with Lane and Dave and everyone, but this is cool too. At this point, it’d probably feel just as weird to be without Paris and Jamie actually.”

Jess didn’t say anything in reply. He only smiled at her words and marvelled at how amazing she was. Rory was like no other girl he ever met, and he loved her more than he ever knew he could love anyone. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to be dressed in a monkey suit, hanging out in a too expensive hall with a bunch of stuck-up society snobs from a school he didn’t care for, but all in all it didn’t suck. Rory was here in his arms, Paris was nearby and looking like she was having a pretty good time. There was no bad when he looked at it that way.

“I still think it’s amazing how far we’ve all come,” said Rory then, “and the next stop is Yale.”

“After Summer vacation, thank God!” Jess noted. “Geez, I need a break from all of this for a while.”

“I have to admit, I am looking forward to Europe with my mom, even though I am going to miss you, obviously,” Rory confessed. “Did you decide on California yet?”

“I think I’m gonna go.” Jess nodded. “How bad can it be, right?

Rory smiled at that, she couldn’t help herself. The next thing Jess knew she was throwing herself further into his arms and kissing him soundly on the lips.

“Not complaining, but what was that for?”

“Because I love you, you idiot,” she told him with laugher in her voice that died the moment their eyes met. “I really do.”

Jess couldn’t resist kissing her then, with just as much passion as she had done a moment before.

“You’re amazing, Rory Gilmore, you know that right? I never thought anybody could convince me to put on a suit and go to a dance like this, but hey, here we are.”

“I guess I am pretty cool,” she considered with a smile.

“You are. One of many reasons why I love you.”

Rory blushed just like always at the sound of such a compliment, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love hearing just how highly her boyfriend thought of her, just how much he loved her. Glancing away from his intense gaze, her eyes landed on Paris, curled in close to Jamie and smiling like an idiot. Actually, they were both looking pretty goofy right now, and it was beautiful.

“They look so happy.”

“Yeah, “ Jess agreed, looking over at his sister and her boyfriend, “that doesn’t suck.”

“Jamie really is a nice guy,” Rory insisted, knowing that even now Jess had trouble accepting it.

“I know,” he admitted with a sigh. “I just worry about her, that’s all. And if you say that’s sweet, I’m leaving,” he warned, only half-joking, Rory was sure.

“It’s very manly to care that much,” she said as seriously as she could, though it clearly didn’t come easy.

Jess smirked. “Right answer.”

Then he kissed her one more time, lifting her clear off the ground as he spun her around and around. Rory felt like she was on top of the world, and it felt good.


	31. Chapter 31

“I can’t believe it’s over. Last final completed,” said Rory as she stepped out of the building flanked by Jess and Paris. “We made it.”

“Just a couple of days then graduation and it’s all over. Our Chilton careers will have come to a close,” said Paris thoughtfully. “Quite the historic occasion, especially since this year’s graduating class contains the least blue-blooded person I ever met,” she said, smirking at Jess.

“Hey, I’m proud of that title,” he assured her. “And honestly? I am not sorry to be almost done with this place.”

“Oh, come on!” Paris rolled her eyes. “Without Chilton’s backing and superior education, do you really think you’d be headed for Yale in the Fall?”

“You’re assuming I don’t come to my senses over the Summer and realise I really don’t wanna go to college.”

Rory looked a little startled at that response, but relaxed the moment she glanced at Jess and saw him wink. He was just baiting Paris, not being serious, even though Rory was sure the thought had crossed his mind to ditch the idea of Yale and do something else. What worried her most perhaps was that Jess might like California a little too much and decide not to come back. She hoped that wouldn’t happen and couldn’t really imagine Jess taking on life as a surfer dude or similar, but there was a nagging worry in the back of her mind that she just couldn’t shake.

“Jess! Rory!” called two familiar voices suddenly.

Madeline and Louise came bounding over with the biggest grins on their faces.

“Sign our year books!” Madeline instructed, thrusting her own book and a sparkly pen right into Jess’ face.

“Seriously?”

“C’mon, Jess. It won’t kill you to sign your name,” his girlfriend advised, taking Louise’s book and pen from her to do the same.

“Whatever,” Jess sighed, doing as he was asked.

He really didn’t get the whole year book signing thing. He got the book itself, though he wasn’t sure why, but there were very few people in the school who’s signature or goodbye message he was eager to get. Rory was into that whole thing, and that was fine. Her book sure did look impressive with all the messages congratulating her on getting valedictorian. Honestly, Jess was still amazed by how well Paris had taken that news. He expected her head to spin around and explode, but no. She congratulated Rory for winning a fight well fought and consoled herself that she was leaving this school with a higher GPA that any former generation of Geller to attend. That was enough for her apparently. That and beating Jess’ own score. She made a very big deal out of that, and for once he let her do it without complaint.

“Done,” he said, handing Louise’s year book back to her now he and Rory had now signed both.

She and Madeline read the messages from their two friends, smiling at the kind comment from Rory and then each frowning at Jess’ sentiment.

“Great. ‘Cause what this book really needed was more Latin,” said Madeline, making a face.

Rory peered over her shoulder to see ‘Stultus Est Sicut Stultus Facit’ written in Jess’ familiar handwriting. Her eyes went wide, and she socked her boyfriend in the shoulder, even if she couldn’t help but laugh. There really wasn’t much to argue with. ‘Stupid is as stupid does’ kind of suited Madeline down to the ground!

“I’m not complaining about mine. Thanks, Jess,” said Louise, smiling widely.

“You’re welcome,” he assured her, smirking hard as the girls walked away.

“What did you write?” asked Rory curiously, sure that Jess didn’t mean to say anything at all pleasant to Louise of all people - she really bugged him.

“Not much,” he told her, shrugging his shoulders. “Just a little something from Henry IV.”

Paris moved fast after the girls and peered over their shoulders to see Jess’ message in Madeline’s year book as some other faceless student she cared nothing for wrote their own words nearby. Smirking, she returned to her friends.

“You are as a candle,” she quoted with a look. “Really? She has no idea what the rest of that line is.”

“The better burnt out,” Rory completed, recalling it clearly from their extensive study of the play earlier in the year.

The girls laughed at that, even though they knew it was mean. It wasn’t as if Madeline or Louise were ever likely to realise they’d been had, or care much if they did.

* * *

Thanks to his own finals and essay deadlines, Jamie just couldn’t make it to Paris’ graduation. He apologised profusely and sent her the most beautiful gift to make amends - a locket engraved with her name and graduation date - so she couldn’t really be mad at him. In any case, she had more than enough support on this great day. Lorelai and Luke assured her they were as proud to be there for her sake as they were for Rory and for Jess, and that meant a lot, even to the usually unmoved Paris.

“You okay?” she asked Rory as they took their seats.

Both being Gs they got to sit together, whilst Jess was stuck a couple of rows behind, too close to Madeline for comfort, or so he had said. Rory turned to look at him and he shot her a winning smile, which certainly helped her nerves some.

“I will be,” she assured Paris then. “Just a little worried I’ll freeze mid-speech or cry or something stupid.”

“You’ll be fine,” her friend assured her, making an awkward attempt at patting Rory’s arm and looking encouraging. “You've got this.”

“Yeah, I got this,” she agreed, shaking a little in any case.

When Headmaster Charleston finally announced that Rory Gilmore was now going to make her valedictorian’s speech, she found a deep breath dispelled much of her nerves. She stepped up onto the podium and looked out at the crowd, at her mom and Luke, her grandparents, and Sookie and Jackson. Then to the other side of the gathered crowd she saw a lot of friends from school, Paris, and of course, Jess. With all this support, it was no wonder she had achieved so much. With all of them here, urging her on, she could easily make her speech.

Rory spoke of the two worlds she lived in. How books had guided, helped, and entertained her, but also of the people in her life that supported and shaped her. Emily and Richard, great pillars of strength as Paris had noted a couple of weeks ago. Luke, Paris, Jess, and all her closest friends that were as dear to her as family. Finally, Lorelai, the mother who had created her, raised her, loved her and encouraged her like no other.

Though it couldn’t exactly be said that there was not a dry eye in the house, the row of adults attending for Rory’s sake were all certainly moved by her wonderful speech. Rory might have cried herself if she weren’t smiling and even laughing at all the applause she was receiving, plus Luke and Jess both had their fingers in their mouth to whistle in a way that was making half the faculty, as well as Emily wince, and nobody could have been clapping with more gusto than Paris. It meant an awful lot to Rory and she didn’t care who knew it.

The ceremony continued with each row of students called upon to go up and receive their diplomas. Pictures were taken, tassels were moved on hats, and it was done. The 2003 Senior Class of Chilton Prepatory School had graduated, and all were proud to be able to say as much.

* * *

After the joy of first Luke and Lorelai's engagement and then graduation came the sadness of parting ways. Just a day after the celebrations that ended the school careers of Rory, Jess, and Paris, it was time for them all to head off in different directions for the Summer. Luke was stowing the last of Rory and Lorelai’s luggage in the truck in preparation for driving them to the airport. Their flight to Europe left in a few short hours and they would be gone for most of the Summer break. Tomorrow, Luke would make a similar trip to take Jess to the same starting point so he could catch his plane to LA to stay with Jimmy. It meant saying goodbye for now for too many people who were used to being together all of the time.

“You have a great time in California, okay, Jess?” Lorelai advised. “But not so much fun that you don’t want to come back.”

“I’ll be back,” he told her definitely. “So long as you will,” he said, eyes shifting from Lorelai to Rory.

“That’s a definite yes,” his girlfriend told him, trying her best not to let tears overcome her.

She was so excited to go back-packing in Europe with her mom, but at the same time, travelling away from Jess, as well as Luke and Paris actually, was kind of a wrench. 

“Try to fit in a least a little culture on your trip,” Paris advised her friend. “I heard your mom practising her phrases. ‘Does Antonio Banderas live around here?’ should not be the most important question.”

Rory laughed at that, glad Lorelai and Luke were in the truck now and completely missed that comment. 

“I promise we’ll see everything we ought to see, Paris.”

“Okay then. Have a great time,” she said then, looking very awkward before finally deciding to give Rory a brief hug. “I’ll be inside,” she told Jess, going into the diner.

“Luke is going to have so much fun this Summer,” Rory noted with a smile she couldn’t help.

“God help him!” Jess rolled his eyes, though he was smiling just the same.

He had invited Paris to come to California with him. After all, as he told her, she was more like family to him than Jimmy in some ways. It wouldn’t suck for them to meet. She seemed to seriously consider the proposal but in the end she had refused. She thanked her brother for the sentiment, but the fact was Paris believed it was important for father and son to bond without interference. She was fine with staying behind and had in fact offered her services to Luke at the diner. He would be a man down with Jess away and lonely without Lorelai and Rory. Besides, she actually found she quite enjoyed the varied and unfamiliar diversion of waiting tables at Luke’s. Though he looked a little dumbfounded by the way Paris phrased her offer, Luke had eventually agreed that she could help out with a few shifts if she really wanted to. He figured he was doing them both a favour in the long run, saving them both from being lonely without their loved ones around.

“So,” said Jess, facing his girlfriend then.

“So,” she echoed, looking down at his fingers entwining with her own. “I guess I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

Jess nodded his agreement then leaned in closer until their lips met. They kissed like no-one was watching, hoping rather believing that was true. When they reluctantly parted, they refused to say goodbye or even I love you. The look they shared covered everything as Rory’s fingers slipped out of Jess’ grip and she walked away.

The truck moved off from the kerb and was soon gone from sight. Jess let out a long breath and headed inside, finding Paris bickering with Kirk already.

“Luke always lets me take as many as I want,” he insisted, a death-grip on at least six or seven sugar packets.

Paris likewise had a similar grip on his wrist, squeezing very tightly.

“Why do I think you’re lying to me?” she asked rhetorically. “I’m guessing it’s because you're male and your lips are moving.”

Kirk looked at Jess in desperation but he only held up his hands and shook his head.

“Hey, man, you got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out.”

“Ow!” Kirk exclaimed as Paris shifted his wrist back another quarter inch.

“Do you know how many pounds of pressure it takes to dislocate a wrist?" she asked him. “It’s actually a much smaller number than you’d think. Only eight pounds of pressure per square inch.”

Jess was laughing as he passed through the curtain to head upstairs and finish packing.

“Jess, please! Help!” Kirk called to him.

“Paris is in charge until Luke gets back!” he yelled back, suddenly popping his head back around the curtain. “Hey, Paris? Just try not to get blood on the floor, okay, sis?” he told her with a wink.

She smiled at the last word as much as the humour in his tone.

“You got it, brother,” she said, shifting her grip on Kirk’s wrist just a little before leaving go entirely, snatching the sugar packets from him with her other hand whilst he moaned. “I actually think I’m going to enjoy this Summer.”


End file.
